Copper in soil fractions and runoff in a vineyard catchment: Insights from copper stable isotopes

Understanding the fate of copper (Cu) fungicides in vineyard soils and catchments is a prerequisite to limit the off-site impact of Cu. Using Cu stable isotopes, Cu retention in soils and runoff transport was investigated in relation to the use of Cu fungicides and the hydrological conditions in a vineyard catchment (Rouffach, Haut-Rhin, France; mean slope: 15%). The delta Cu-65 values of the bulk vineyard soil varied moderately through the depth of the soil profiles (-0.12 to 0.24% +/- 0.08%). The values were in the range of those of the fungicides (-0.21 to 0.11%) and included the geogenic delta Cu-65 value of the untreated soil (0.08%). However, delta Cu-65 values significantly differed between particle-size soil fractions (-0.37 +/- 0.10% in fine clays and 0.23 +/- 0.07% in silt). Together with the soil mineralogy, the results suggested Cu isotope fractionation primarily associated with the clay and fine clay fractions that include both SOM and mineral phases. The vegetation did not affect the Cu isotope patterns in the vineyard soils. Cu export by runoff from the catchment accounted for 1% of the applied Cu mass from 11th May to 20th July 2011, covering most of the Cu use period. 84% of the exported Cu mass was Cu bound to suspended particulate matter (SPM). The runoff displayed delta Cu-65 values from 0.52 to 1.35% in the dissolved phase (<0.45 mu m) compared to -0.34 to -0.02% in the SPM phase, indicating that clay and fine clay fractions were the main vectors of SPM-bound Cu in runoff. Overall, this study shows that Cu stable isotopes may allow identifying the Cu distribution in the soil fractions and their contribution to Cu export in runoff from Cu-contaminated catchments. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.