Multiple Isotope Fingerprints to Identify Sources and Transport of Agro-Contaminants
Closed for Proposals
Project Type
Coordinated Research ProjectProject Code
D15018
CRP
2187
Approved Date
2017/12/07Project Status
ClosedStart Date
2018/04/12Expected End Date
2023/12/31Completed Date
2024/05/14Participating Countries
Austria, Australia, Switzerland, China, Germany, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ghana, Ireland, India, Japan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Romania, Slovenia, Viet NamDescription
Pollution from agriculture and other sources has direct negative impacts on human health. A major knowledge gap regarding pollution in agro-ecosystems is source identification and apportionment, which requires more data, research and integration of approaches. When contamination from multiple sources to an agro-ecosystem occurs, traditional techniques cannot help in evaluating the relative contribution of the different sources. Complementarily to conventional monitoring and mass balance approaches, stable isotopes of major elements (H, C, N, O and S) have the potential to characterize and quantify sources and transport of solutes in agro-ecosystems. Studies have shown that depending on the origin of the polluting source, the isotopic signature of each element could be unique therefore it can be applied to fingerprint the source. This CRP aims to use stable isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur as an integrated approach to identify and apportion sources and transport of agro-contaminants from soil to water bodies in agro-ecosystems.
Objectives
Identify and apportion macronutrient and micro-contaminant inputs in agro-ecosystems using an integrated isotope approach
Specific Objectives
Provide guidelines and decision trees for adapting and applying the toolbox
Apply the combined approach to different agro-ecosystems to control contaminants
Develop, evaluate and standardize an integrative isotope approach for identifying and apportioning sources of contaminants in agro-ecosystems
Provide guidelines and decision trees for adapting and applying the toolbox
Apply the combined approach to different agro-ecosystems to control contaminants
Develop, evaluate and standardize an integrative isotope approach for identifying and apportioning sources of contaminants in agro-ecosystems
Impact
New analytical methods for source identification and apportion of phosphate (d18Op), sulphate (d34S-SO4, d18O-SO4) and pesticides (d13C and d15N), were developed and successfully tested in AUL, CPR, SLO, SRL, GHA, IND, SWI, and VIE, and are being transferred to member states through TC projects.
Two regional (RAS5091 and RLA5089) and 3 National TC projects (BOL5024, COS7006, SLO5005) have applied the tools for isotopic water quality monitoring.
The tools developed are also being applied to monitor the source and transport of agro-contaminants in transboundary Danube and Mekong collaboration with isotope hydrology laboratory (IHL), International Commission for the Protection of the Danube (ICPDR) and the Mekong River Commission.
More than 100 publications illustrating the use of these isotopes to monitor soil and water quality in different agro-ecosystem.
Fifteen young researchers completed MSc and PhD thesis related to this topic.
Relevance
The CRP has:
(1) developed tools/guidelines/ SOPs for both field and laboratory work, already adapted by counterparts involved in both CRPs &TC projects.
(2) provided background information for follow-up CRPs on oxygen isotopes of phosphate, sulfate, carbon and H2O isotopes to monitor water and sediment pollution in agroecosystem.
(3) suggested land management strategies to mitigate and control agro-contaminants, however this remains the share responsibilities of the agro-chemical manufactures and policy makers in food and agriculture as well as the mining sectors
CRP Publications
Austria/IAEA
Book
2022
Oxygen Isotopes of Inorganic Phosphate in Environmental Samples: Purification and Analysis