Natural radioactivity in underground water from the Outer Carpathians in Poland with the use of nuclear spectrometry techniques (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society, 2007
In this work, a study of the radioactive content of some spring and bottled mineral waters originating from metamorphic rock areas was carried out. A high content of radium isotopes (226 Ra, 228 Ra), was found by radiometric analysis in the spring waters: Studenica (226 Ra: 289 mBq/L),^ibutkovica (226 Ra: 92, 4 mBq/L, 228 Ra: 610 mBq/L), and Crni Guber (226 Ra: 120 mBq/L, 228 Ra: 1170 mBq/L). On the other hand, the radiochemical results showed a higher concentration of 238 U in the bottled mineral water samples (dissolved uranium concentrations were from 0.21 mBq/L, for "Kopaonik" to 71.5 mBq/L fo "Skadarska") than in the spring water samples (dissolved uranium concentrations were very low » 10 mBq/L). The concentrations of all the present naturally occuring radionuclides: 238 U, 234 U, 232 Th, 230 Th, 228 Th, 228 Ra and 226 Ra were determined by alpha/gamma spectrometric analysis. The activity ratios 234 U/ 238 U, 226 Ra/ 230 Th and 228 Th/ 232 Th, 228 Ra/ 228 Th were calculated and are discussed as an indication of the radioactive disequilibrium in bothe the 238 U and 232 Th radioactive series. The high contents of radium isotopes with respect to the equilibrium values expected from the respective parents 232 Th/(232 Th series) and 230 Th (238 U series) found in the spring water samples is the main evidence for the existence of significant radioactive disequilibrium in both the radioactive series.
The occurrence of 226 Ra and 228 Ra in groundwaters of the Polish Sudety Mountains
2002
The paper presents preliminary measurement results of the concentrations of 226 Ra and 228 Ra isotopes in the groundwaters of the Polish part of the Sudety Mountains. The analysis of sampling results for water from 55 intakes showed that the average concentrations amount to 0.144 Bq/dm 3 for 226 Ra and 0.083 Bq/dm 3 for 228 Ra, while the extreme values reach 0.007 and 0.92 Bq/dm 3 for 226 Ra, and 0.004 and 0.4 Bq/dm 3 for 228 Ra. The activity ratio 228 Ra/ 226 Ra in the examined groundwaters ranges between 0.099 and 2.059. The result of the conducted research implies that the highest concentrations of 226 Ra and 228 Ra occur in the waters with the highest general mineralization (the highest values of total dissolved solids (TDS)).
Radioprotection, 2009
Precise and accurate measurement of uranium isotope ratio is essential in environmental monitoring of any contamination in nuclear safeguards. 234 U, 235 U and 238 U are naturally occurring alphaemitting long-lived radionuclides, which are taken up daily at low levels with food and drinking. IUPAC has established natural isotopic composition of 235 U/ 238 U to be 0.00725. Therefore, isotope ratio measurements are important to provide information on the origin of uranium. The isotope ratios of uranium, 234 U/ 238 U, 235 U/ 238 U and 236 U/ 238 U were measured using a VG Sector 54 thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS) as well as high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in soil samples as well as in some water samples collected in the exclusion zone of Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The isotopic composition of Chernobyl soil samples showed significant deviation from the natural uranium and presence of 236 U is quite noticeable. The 234 U/ 238 U activity ratio varies in the range 1.06 to 2.1 and 1.42 to 5.75 for soil and water samples, respectively. Enrichment of 235 U was also noticeable for soil as well as ground water samples.
Natural radioactivity of 226Ra and 228Ra in thermal and mineral waters in Croatia
Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 2009
Thermal waters are known as valuable natural resources of a country. They contain certain degree of natural radioactivity attributable to the elements of the uranium and thorium natural decay series. Among these elements, the most radiotoxic and the most important is radium that exists in several isotopic forms ( 226 Ra and 228 Ra). The focus of attention was the content of radium in samples of thermal and mineral spring water from several spas in Croatia. These waters are mainly used for medical, bathing and recreational purposes, and some of them are used for drinking. Measured activity concentrations of 226 Ra ranged from 87 to 6200 mBq l 21 which, in some springs, exceed the maximal permissible level of 1 Bq l 21 for drinking water. Measured activity concentrations of 228 Ra ranged from 23 to 3480 mBq l 21 . The study showed that radium content for the investigated thermal and mineral waters is below the levels at which negative consequences would arise due to ingestion.
Uranium, radium and 40K isotopes in bottled mineral waters from Outer Carpathians, Poland
Radiation Measurements, 2007
Radioactivity content in commercially bottled mineral waters from Outer Carpathians was investigated on the basis of 28 samples. Activity concentration results for radium isotopes 226,228 Ra, uranium isotopes 234,238 U and isotopic ratios 234 U/ 238 U were determined. The correlations between investigated isotopes and calculated potassium 40 K ions dissolved in water were carried out. The results show a correlation between TDS (total dissolved solids) values and dissolved radionuclides. High correlation coefficients were observed between total radium content and 40 K. The isotopic ratio of 234 U/ 238 U varies in the range from 1.6 to 7 in all investigated waters which means that there is no radioactive equilibrium between the parent nuclide 238 U and its daughter 234 U. The effective radiation dose coming from studied radium and uranium radionuclides consumed with mineral water from the Outer Carpathians obtained by a statistical Pole is equal to 4.3 Sv/year (58 l/year water consumption) and do not exceed the permissible limit equal to 100 Sv/year. Assuming 0.5 l consumption per day, i.e. 182.5 l/year, the effective dose is equal to 13.4 Sv/year, what is still below the unit.
A comparative study of some nuclear methods for235U/238U isotopic ratios determination
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Articles, 1987
In the present work, a comparative study is made among nuclear methods for 23SU/23Su ratios determination: activation analysis followed by high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry, delayed neutron counting, passive gamma-ray and alpha spectrometry, Activation analysis followed by high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry yielded a relative standard deviation down to 0.1% and a relative error of about 1% for standards of uraniom enriched to 14%. Passive gamma-ray spectrometry using .Ge(Li) detectors yielded a relative error down to 0.1% for enriched uranium and values even lower for the standard deviation. Passive gamma-ray spectrometry using Low Energy Photon Detector (LEPD) yielded a precision of 0.2% and a still better accuracy for enriched standards. In the ease of alpha spectrometry, a relative error down to 0.5% and a precision of about 1% were obtained, also for enriched uranium standards. Delayed neutron counting allowed a relative standard deviation of about 7% and a relative error of about 2%, for standards of depleted uranium.
Geochemistry of Radioactive Isotopes
Geochemistry [Working Title]
The chapter targeted the geochemistry of radioactive isotopes dealing with multidisciplinary topics and focusing on geochronology and tracer studies. The most common subjects are presented to include the basic principles of radioactive isotopes. The radioactive decay, the parent nuclide, the SI unit of radioactive decay as well as the historical discovery of radioactivity, the neutrons and protons in atomic nuclei, alpha and beta particles, gamma rays, electromagnetic radiation, decay and mode of decay, chain of decay, decay rates, decay timing, principle of dating, radiometric dating, isotope systems, the Rb/Sr System, the U, Th, Pb System, the age of the earth, Sm-Nd dating, K-Ar dating, 14 Carbon dating, the geochron, all those were included overall.
Determination of radium isotopes in mineral water samples by α-spectrometry
International Congress Series, 2005
A method for the determination of low-level radium isotopes in mineral and environmental water samples by alpha-spectrometry has been developed. Radium-225, which is in equilibrium with its mother 229 Th, was used as a yield tracer. Radium were preconcentrated from water samples by coprecipitation with BaSO 4 and iron (III) hydroxide at pH 8-9 using ammonia solution, then isolated from uranium, thorium and iron using a Microthene-TOPO chromatography column at 8M HCl, separated from barium in a cation-exchange resin column using 0.05M 1,2cyclohexylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid monohydrate at pH 8.5 as an eluant, and finally electrodeposited on a stainless steel disc in a medium of 0.17M (NH 4) 2 C 2 O 4 at pH 2.6 and current density of 400 mA. cm-2 , and counted by α-spectrometry. Optimum experimental conditions for radium separation, purification and electrodeposition have been studied and discussed in the paper. The lower limits of detection of the method are 0.11 mBq. l-1 for 226 Ra, 228 Ra and 224 Ra, respectively, if 2 l of water are analyzed. The method has been checked with a certified reference material IAEA-Soil-6 supplied by the International Atomic Energy Agency and reliable results were obtained. Eighteen water samples collected in Italy have been analyzed with the method, the mean radiochemical yields for radium were 86.2±6.5%. The obtained radium concentrations were in the range of 0.50-60.8 mBq. l-1 for 226 Ra, of 0.10-25.7 mBq. l-1 for 228 Ra, and of ≤ LLD-7.97 mBq. l-1 for 224 Ra. The 228 Ra/ 226 Ra and 224 Ra/ 226 Ra ratios were in the range of 0.189-4.45 and ≤ LLD-0.941, respectively.
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2014
Natural radioactivity of drinking water with various geological origin in Balkans region has been studied. Collected water samples are analyzed for total alpha and total beta activities and specific alpha-and gamma-emitting radionuclides content using low-background proportional counting and alpha and gamma-spectrometry techniques. Obtained activity concentrations of 238 U, 234 U, 235 U, 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K in water samples and radioactive disequilibrium between members of the natural radioactive series, based on the isotopic ratios, has been discussed.