Mineral- und heilwässer in sachsen - eine isotopenanalytische charakterisierung.

Abstract The groundwaters studied and labelled as mineral water were "natural mineral waters" for bottled waters and "natural curative waters" for heal therapeutical applications. They were characterized either by a specific mineralization or their suitability for balneology. To reveal the actual hydrological situation isotope investigations using (2)H, (18)O, (3)H, (12)C and (14)C (DIC) and (34)S (sulphate) were included in a study describing samples of 24 mineral water deposits in Saxonia. The water was classified into 4 hydrochemical types of genesis. Due to different hydrogeological and hydrochemical situations widely scattered isotope ratios were measured. Most of the investigated mineral waters are containing at least parts of younger waters (with residence times less than about 40 years). Correlations between chemical composition and the tritium content could be observed within different springs from the areas Bad Brambach, Bad Elster and Burkhardswalde. Strong variations in δ(34)S were found in samples with low sulphate content, showing different sulphur sources, as well as microbiological reactions. On the other hand mineral waters from Bad Brambach and Bad Elster show nearly the same δ(34)S value of about 6‰ CDT despite beeing of a different chemical type. The δ(13)C values between -22 and -2.2y PDB are related to different sources of CO(2).