Gaofeng River sediments downstream of the Yunfu pyrite mine
Guangdong, Yunfu City (Gaofeng and Nanshan rivers), China
Sediments
- Type
- Sediment
Twenty sediments in five zones along the Gaofeng River, which receives about 300 Mt per year of effluents and tailings from the open-pit Yunfu pyrite mine (208 Mt reserves, over 30 % S, mined for more than 50 years): zone A next to the mine and tailings lake, zone B around the effluent treatment station, zones C and D before and after the confluence, zone E in the Nanshan River (background). Deposit pyrite at +1.28 ε205Tl (Liu et al., 2020). Ternary mixing between pyrite tailings (+3.95), station wastes (-6.70) and background (-2.07): up to 50 % of Tl from the tailings in upper zone B and 76 % of Tl from the station in its lower part, tailings effect noticeable up to 10 km (Ouyang et al., 2023). Indicative coordinates (Yunfu City, 22° 53' N, 112° 00' E after Liu et al., 2016).
ε205Tl in ε units (parts per 10,000) Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 997
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −4.87 ± 0.3 ε | 1 | zone A1 sediment, at the mining effluent outlet Single analysis; 16.70 mg/kg Tl; Tl-bearing pyrite and wurtzite (TEM). | Ouyang et al. (2023), Stable thallium (Tl) isotopic signature as a reliable source tracer… | |
| 3.95 ± 0.3 ε | 1 | pyrite tailings lake sediment (zone A2) Single analysis; 4.35 mg/kg Tl; pyrite tailings end-member, heavier than the deposit pyrite (+1.28): fractionation during tailings storage. | Ouyang et al. (2023), Stable thallium (Tl) isotopic signature as a reliable source tracer… | |
| −3.16 ± 0.11 ε | −3.24 / −3.08 ε | 2 | sediments between the tailings lake and the treatment station (zones A3 and A4) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 analyses, published range without attribution to each sample. | Ouyang et al. (2023), Stable thallium (Tl) isotopic signature as a reliable source tracer… |
| −6.7 ± 0.3 ε | 1 | sediments below the treatment station outfall (zones B1 and B2) Single analysis; mixing end-member value; both samples lighter than -6.60; 15.20 and 11.50 mg/kg Tl, dominant Tl(I) and Fe(II) (XPS), iron sulphides: adsorption of light Tl(I) under sulphate- and iron-reducing bacteria. | Ouyang et al. (2023), Stable thallium (Tl) isotopic signature as a reliable source tracer… | |
| 0.24 ± 0.67 ε | −0.23 / 0.72 ε | 2 | sediments before and after the confluence (zones C2 and D1) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 analyses, published range without attribution to each sample; dominant contribution of the tailings lake. | Ouyang et al. (2023), Stable thallium (Tl) isotopic signature as a reliable source tracer… |
| −2.55 ± 0.3 ε | 1 | sediment downstream of the confluence (zone D2) Single analysis; return towards the Nanshan River background. | Ouyang et al. (2023), Stable thallium (Tl) isotopic signature as a reliable source tracer… | |
| −2.07 ± 0.3 ε | 1 | Nanshan River background sediments (zones E3 and E4) Single analysis; background end-member value, 0.95 mg/kg Tl (1/Tl = 1.02); E1 and E2 still receive on average 42 % anthropogenic Tl. | Ouyang et al. (2023), Stable thallium (Tl) isotopic signature as a reliable source tracer… |
206Pb/207Pb isotope ratio, no unit Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 981
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1803 | 1 | Gaofeng River headwater sediment, upstream of the mine Single analysis; S1; 97 % of Tl in the residual fraction. | Liu et al. (2016), Thallium dispersal and contamination in surface sediments from South C… | |
| 1.1662 ± 0.0036 | 1.1621 / 1.1698 | 4 | Gaofeng River sediments just downstream of the mine and plant Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 4 analyses, S2 to S5 (Liu et al., 2016); up to 17.3 mg/kg Tl at S5, 4 to 5 km downstream; S2 at the mining and roasting waste outfall. | Liu et al. (2016), Thallium dispersal and contamination in surface sediments from South C… |
| 1.1767 ± 0.0098 | 1.1594 / 1.1829 | 5 | Nanshan River sediments through Yunfu City Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 5 analyses, S6 to S10 (Liu et al., 2016); S7 the least radiogenic of all sediments (1.1594). | Liu et al. (2016), Thallium dispersal and contamination in surface sediments from South C… |
208Pb/206Pb isotope ratio, no unit Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 981
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.096 | 1 | Gaofeng River headwater sediment, upstream of the mine Single analysis; S1; 97 % of Tl in the residual fraction. | Liu et al. (2016), Thallium dispersal and contamination in surface sediments from South C… | |
| 2.1132 ± 0.0044 | 2.1076 / 2.118 | 4 | Gaofeng River sediments just downstream of the mine and plant Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 4 analyses, S2 to S5 (Liu et al., 2016); up to 17.3 mg/kg Tl at S5, 4 to 5 km downstream; S2 at the mining and roasting waste outfall. | Liu et al. (2016), Thallium dispersal and contamination in surface sediments from South C… |
| 2.1011 ± 0.011 | 2.0959 / 2.1208 | 5 | Nanshan River sediments through Yunfu City Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 5 analyses, S6 to S10 (Liu et al., 2016); S7 the least radiogenic of all sediments (1.1594). | Liu et al. (2016), Thallium dispersal and contamination in surface sediments from South C… |
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Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Gaofeng River sediments downstream of the Yunfu pyrite mine, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/sites/sediments-de-la-riviere-gaofeng-en-aval-de-la-mine-de-pyrite-de-yunfu/ (accessed 2026-10-15).
@misc{isofind2026gaofengriversedimentsdownstre,
title = {Gaofeng River sediments downstream of the Yunfu pyrite mine, isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/sites/sediments-de-la-riviere-gaofeng-en-aval-de-la-mine-de-pyrite-de-yunfu/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15}
}Updated : 2026-10-15