Sulfate is one of the important chemical constituents of surface water and can provide a wealth of integrated information on geological processes and human activities.Therefore,it is of great importance to accurately identify the source of sulfate in surface water.Due to the fingerprinting characteristics of sulfur isotopes,the use of sulfur stable isotopes to identify sulfate sources has been widely used.In the review,the δ34SSO4 ranges of different sulfate sources in surface water are summarized,and the research progress of using sulfur stable isotopes for tracing sulfate pollution sources in surface water at home and abroad is reviewed.The limitations of using only δ34SSO4 for traceability in sulfate pollution tracing are also discussed,and future techniques for sulfate pollution traceability are prospected.