Dissolved and Particulate Beryllium Isotopes in the Pearl River Estuary: Their Geochemical Behavior in Estuarine Water and Potential Contributions From Anthropogenic Sources

The ratio of cosmogenic 10 Be and its stable isotope 9 has been used as a proxy long-term continental weathering fluxes denudation rates, but transport processes these isotopes from river water to estuarine seawater, well interference potential anthropogenic source on natural Be/ around populated estuaries are not constrained. Here, we present results concentrations dissolved reactive particulate phase in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) eight major outlets. Cu, Cd, Pb also measured, allowing us assess their contamination levels together with by geo-accumulation index ( I geo –reac ) enrichment factor (EF). A wide distribution pattern (137–1,194 at/g (0.781–8.31 × –12 g/g among outlets is observed. coefficients K d both between sediment order 5 , average only 5% exists form. Compared total meteoric deposited basin, 23% retained while 38% finally escape estuary transported into coastal seawater. Despite high Cu lower EF values indicate that hardly polluted source. Thus, PRE area mainly associated instead human activities.