Anthropogenic tracers
{{Technical|date=January 2025}}
{{Also|Organic molecular tracers}}{{Short description|Human-created chemicals for environmental study}}
Anthropogenic tracers are chemicals or other substances that are derived from human activities and can be used to study environmental processes. They can be used to date groundwater, track the movement of wastewater, and study the composition of aerosols.{{Cite journal |last1=Beisner |first1=Kimberly R. |last2=Paretti |first2=Nicholas V. |last3=Jasmann |first3=Jeramy R. |last4=Barber |first4=Larry B. |date=2023-08-01 |title=Utilizing anthropogenic compounds and geochemical tracers to identify preferential structurally controlled groundwater pathways influencing springs in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA |journal=Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |volume=48 |pages=101461 |doi=10.1016/j.ejrh.2023.101461 |bibcode=2023JHyRS..4801461B |issn=2214-5818|doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Sato |first1=Kei |last2=Ikemori |first2=Fumikazu |last3=Ramasamy |first3=Sathiyamurthi |last4=Iijima |first4=Akihiro |last5=Kumagai |first5=Kimiyo |last6=Fushimi |first6=Akihiro |last7=Fujitani |first7=Yuji |last8=Chatani |first8=Satoru |last9=Tanabe |first9=Kiyoshi |last10=Takami |first10=Akinori |last11=Tago |first11=Hiroshi |last12=Saito |first12=Yoshinori |last13=Saito |first13=Shinji |last14=Hoshi |first14=Junya |last15=Morino |first15=Yu |date=2022-04-01 |title=Formation of secondary organic aerosol tracers from anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic compounds under varied NOx and oxidant conditions |journal=Atmospheric Environment: X |volume=14 |pages=100169 |doi=10.1016/j.aeaoa.2022.100169 |issn=2590-1621 |doi-access=free }}
Examples
- CFCs and sulfur hexafluoride dissolve in groundwater and can be used to date it.{{Cite web |title=Fact Sheet - Environmental water tracers in environmental impact assessments for coal seam gas and large coal mining developments {{!}} iesc |url=https://www.iesc.gov.au/publications/environmental-water-tracers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241014154603/https://www.iesc.gov.au/publications/environmental-water-tracers |archive-date=2024-10-14 |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=www.iesc.gov.au |language=en |url-status=live }}
- Nitroaromatic hydrocarbons are anthropogenic SOA tracers that can be detected in ambient aerosols.
- Pharmaceuticals such as amitriptyline and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide can be detected in surface water.{{Cite journal |last1=Ferrey |first1=Mark L. |last2=Heiskary |first2=Steven |last3=Grace |first3=Richard |last4=Hamilton |first4=M. Coreen |last5=Lueck |first5=April |date=November 2015 |title=Pharmaceuticals and other anthropogenic tracers in surface water: a randomized survey of 50 Minnesota lakes |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26468892/#:~:text=The%2520most%2520widely%2520detected%2520was%2520N%252CN%252Ddiethyl%252Dm%252Dtoluamide%252C%2520present,antidepressant%252C%2520was%2520found%2520in%252028%25%2520of%2520the |journal=Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry |volume=34 |issue=11 |pages=2475–2488 |doi=10.1002/etc.3125 |issn=1552-8618 |pmid=26468892 |bibcode=2015EnvTC..34.2475F |archive-date=2022-07-09 |access-date=2025-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709023444/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26468892/#:~:text=The%2520most%2520widely%2520detected%2520was%2520N%252CN%252Ddiethyl%252Dm%252Dtoluamide%252C%2520present,antidepressant%252C%2520was%2520found%2520in%252028%25%2520of%2520the |url-status=live }}
- Methylsuccinic, aromatic, and aliphatic unsaturated acids are anthropogenic tracers that can be detected in fine aerosols.{{Cite journal |last1=Vodička |first1=Petr |last2=Kawamura |first2=Kimitaka |last3=Deshmukh |first3=Dhananjay K. |last4=Pokorná |first4=Petra |last5=Schwarz |first5=Jaroslav |last6=Ždímal |first6=Vladimír |date=2023-04-15 |title=Anthropogenic and biogenic tracers in fine aerosol based on seasonal distributions of dicarboxylic acids, sugars and related compounds at a rural background site in Central Europe |journal=Atmospheric Environment |volume=299 |pages=119619 |doi=10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.119619 |bibcode=2023AtmEn.29919619V |issn=1352-2310|doi-access=free }}
Uses
- Groundwater dating: The concentration of anthropogenic tracers in groundwater can be used to determine when the water was infiltrated.
- Wastewater tracking: Anthropogenic tracers can be used to track the movement of wastewater in the subsurface.
- Aerosol composition: Anthropogenic tracers can be used to study the composition of aerosols in the atmosphere.
References
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External Links
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