The Strontium Isotope Distribution in Water and Fish Within Major South African Catchments
The strontium isotope distribution in water and sh within major South African catchments LJ Jordaan1,4*, V Wepener2 and JM Huizenga2,3 1Council for Geoscience, Private Bag X112, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa 2Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa 3School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia 4Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa ABSTRACT Strontium has 4 naturally-occurring isotopes (84Sr, 86Sr, 87Sr, 88Sr) all of which are stable (Faure, 1986). e correlation between the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio of lake water and sh n spine tissue was investigated in 23 lakes within 4 major South African catchments. Data showed that sh within a specic lake all have the same Sr isotope ratio in their n spine tissue regardless of species, age, sex and condition. e origin of the dissolved Sr fraction in lake water can be either from the natural weathering of upstream geological units or from an upstream anthropogenic source. e Sr isotopic ratios of the water samples were, however, constant over a multi-year period suggesting that the main source may be the more consistent geological environment. e Sr isotope ratio of river and lake water generally increases along the course of the rivers within the tertiary catchments of the areas investigated. In large rivers like the Vaal, where pollution also plays a role, the pattern is much more complicated. In the Olifants River catchment, Lake Middelburg, Lake Witbank and Lake Doornpoort have a similar Sr isotope ratio, which is distinct from Lake Bronkhorstspruit.
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