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The curative waters of HCO3-SO4-Mg-Na+H2S chemical type and 0.6-0.8 g/dm3 total dissolved solids are exploited in Horyniec Spa located at the northern boundary of the Carpathian Foredeep, near the Polish-Ukrainian border. Although these waters occur at relatively shallow depths (their aquifer is encountered about 30 m below the ground surface), they are quite well protected from surface pollutants by a cover of clayey sands. This paper revises and discusses the origin of specific chemical components of these waters based on the following analyses of stable isotopes: (a) δ34S in [image omitted] , H2S, and CaSO4·2H2O, (b) δ18O in [image omitted] , H2O, and CaSO4·2H2O, and (c) δ2H in H2O and CaSO4·2H2O. The most important process which takes place in the aquifer is the dissolution of gypsum present in the Miocene formation and subsequent bacterial reduction of sulphate ion to hydrogen sulphide in the presence of an organic matter. This process shifts both δ34S and δ18O of sulfate ions towards higher concentration of heavy isotopes by several per mil in comparison to that in the original Miocene gypsum. The hydrogen sulphide generated this way (up to a concentration of 45 mg/dm3) is highly depleted in a heavy isotope by about 41 ‰ with respect to a sulphate ion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the results of isotopic analyses of (i) hydrogen and oxygen in water (δ D[image omitted] and δ18O[image omitted] ) and (ii) sulphur and oxygen in sulphates (δ34Ssulphate and δ18Osulphate) from atmospheric precipitation collected within a one-year period between 25 May 2004 and 25 May 2005 in Wrocław (SW Poland). The resulting equation of Local Meteoric Water Line for Wrocław is δ D=6.373×δ18O-0.047, (r2=0.97, n=32). The δ34Ssulphate varies from 1.1 to 4.2‰ (with an average of 2.5‰), δ18Osulphate varies from 9.0 to 16.7‰ (with an average of 13.8‰) and δ18O[image omitted] varies from-0.8 to-16.3‰ (with an average of-8.2‰). The above results indicate two main sources of sulphates in Wrocław precipitation: (i) low-temperature secondary sulphates forming in situ in Wrocław from the atmospheric SO2 as well as precipitation water (heterogeneous and homogeneous pathways oxidation) and (ii) high-temperature primary sulphates forming in rapid high-temperature hydratation of SO[image omitted] in an immediate proximity of industrial chimneys. We hypothesise that the secondary low-temperature type of sulphates is probably formed from the local sulphur and oxygen reservoirs, whereas the primary high-temperature type is allochthonous and it is probably transported from industrial areas located outside of Wrocław. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]