Identification and Characterization of Natural Sources of Perchlorate

• Main Authors: Hatzinger,Paul B, Harvey,Greg, Jackson,W A, Boehlke,J K, Sturchio,Neil C, Gu,Baohua, Grantz,David, Burkey,Kent, McGrath,Margaret
• Other Authors: CB and I Federal Services, LLC. Lawrenceville United States
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Inorganic Chemistry; chemistry; chemical reactions; environmental protection; groundwater; plants; PERCHLORATES; nitrates; ozone layer; arid land; oxygen; Great Lakes; Antarctica; isotopes; chlorate; UV-photolysis; stable isotope; oxygen-18; oxygen-17; chlorine-37; chlorine-36; synthesis; Atacama; southwest; bioaccumulation; CSIA; produce; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD1028870; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD1028870

The objective of this research effort was to develop an improved understanding of (1) the distribution and isotopic characteristics of natural perchlorate worldwide, (2) the mechanisms of natural perchlorate production and (3) the contributing processes resulting in the ubiquitous distribution of this anion and its stable isotope characteristics in soils, groundwater, and vegetation. Data from the project reveal that natural perchlorate is widely distributed in soils and groundwater in arid and semi-arid environments worldwide. Natural perchlorate was also found to be the dominant source on this anion in the U.S. Great Lakes, at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.13 g/L. Both UV-photolysis and ozone mediated mechanisms may contribute to the formation of natural perchlorate and to its isotopic characteristics. Biological synthesis of perchlorate in bacteria or plants was not observed. However, many plant species were observed to bio accumulate perchlorate, particularly in leaf tissue. The isotopic signature of this plant-accumulated perchlorate represented that of the dominant environmental source, potentially providing a means to identify sources in produce.