Hydrochemical Study of Bezymyanny Hydrogen Sulfide Spring (Pribaikalsky District, Republic of Buryatia)

A hydrochemical study of the mineral hydrogen sulfide spring Bezymyanny, located on the coast of Lake Baikal in the Baikal region of the Republic of Buryatia, was carried out. Using the methods of liquid and gas-liquid mass spectrometry, the composition of allotropes of sulfur and organic polysulfides of the source, microbial mats and in their environment was studied. Polysulfides were monitored using previously developed concentration methods using solid-phase extraction and sulfur analysis in natural sulfide mineral waters. During the reduction of sulfates and the subsequent metabolism of hydrogen sulfide, various forms of sulfur are found in bottom sediments - sulfide, elemental, organic, sulfites and thiosulfates. The process of microbiological sulfate reduction is the main mechanism for the formation of reduced sulfur compounds. The presence of organic polysulfides simultaneously with elemental sulfur and hydrogen sulfide suggests that they are active balneological components of hydrogen sulfide mineral waters. The presence of a significant amount of hexasulfur in the water of microbial mats was observed compared to octasulfur in the source.