Application of Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometric Techniques and Multivariate Statistical Analysis in the Hydrogeochemical Profiling of Caves—Case Study Cloșani, Romania
Anamaria Iulia Torok,
Erika Andrea Levei,
Silviu Constantin,
Oana Teodora Moldovan,
Marin Senila,
Oana Cadar,
Dorina Casoni,
Simion Bogdan Angyus,
Claudiu Tanaselia,
Eniko Covaci,
Tiberiu Frentiu
Affiliations
Anamaria Iulia Torok
INCDO—INOE 2000 National Institute for Research and Development of Optoelectronics, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, Donath 67, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Erika Andrea Levei
INCDO—INOE 2000 National Institute for Research and Development of Optoelectronics, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, Donath 67, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Silviu Constantin
Department of Geospeleology and Paleontology, Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology, Calea 13 Septembrie, 050711 Bucharest, Romania
Oana Teodora Moldovan
Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Saturn 24-26, 400504 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Marin Senila
INCDO—INOE 2000 National Institute for Research and Development of Optoelectronics, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, Donath 67, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Oana Cadar
INCDO—INOE 2000 National Institute for Research and Development of Optoelectronics, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, Donath 67, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Dorina Casoni
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Arany Janos 11, 400028 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Simion Bogdan Angyus
INCDO—INOE 2000 National Institute for Research and Development of Optoelectronics, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, Donath 67, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Claudiu Tanaselia
INCDO—INOE 2000 National Institute for Research and Development of Optoelectronics, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, Donath 67, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Eniko Covaci
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Arany Janos 11, 400028 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Tiberiu Frentiu
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Arany Janos 11, 400028 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
The aim of the study was to develop the hydrogeochemical profiling of caves based on the elemental composition of water and silty soil samples and a multivariate statistical analysis. Major and trace elements, including rare earths, were determined in the water and soil samples. The general characteristics of water, anions content, inorganic and organic carbon fractions and nitrogen species (NO3− and NH4+) were also considered. The ANOVA—principal component analysis (PCA) and two-way joining analysis were applied on samples collected from Cloșani Cave, Romania. The ANOVA-PCA revealed that the hydrogeochemical characteristics of Ca2+-HCO3− water facies were described by five factors, the strongest being associated with water-carbonate rock interactions and the occurrence of Ca, Mg and HCO3− (43.4%). Although organic carbon fractions have a lower influence (20.1%) than inorganic ones on water characteristics, they are involved in the chemical processes of nitrogen and of the elements involved in redox processes (Fe, Mn, Cr and Sn). The seasonal variability of water characteristics, especially during the spring, was observed. The variability of silty soil samples was described by four principal components, the strongest influence being attributed to rare earth elements (52.2%). The ANOVA-PCA provided deeper information compared to Gibbs and Piper diagrams and the correlation analysis.
