Environmental evaluation of radioactivity levels and associated radiation hazards in groundwater around the WIPP site

He, Rong; Liaw, Steven; Zhou, Meng; Zhou, Xiao-Dong; Luo, Hongmei

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113849

Environmental evaluation of radioactivity levels and associated radiation hazards in groundwater around the WIPP site

Journal Article · Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113849· OSTI ID:1977068

He, Rong ^[1]; Liaw, Steven ^[2]; Zhou, Meng ^[2]; Zhou, Xiao-Dong ^[3]; Luo, Hongmei ^[2]

New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States); OSTI
New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States)
Univ. of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA (United States)

Groundwater may contain radioactive substances which can be dangerous to human health. Concentrations of natural radionuclides polonium (Po), thorium (Th), uranium (U), and radium (Ra) isotopes were measured in groundwater samples collected from different locations in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The average values of gross activity concentrations of ²¹⁰Po, ²²⁸Th, ²³⁸U, ²³⁴U, ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra isotopes were determined to be 1.62 Bq L^-1 in shallow groundwater and 5.88 Bq L^-1 in deep groundwater, respectively. The total radioactivity in deep groundwater was higher than that in shallow groundwater, and most of the radioactivity in the water is from ²²⁶Ra. Furthermore, the effective doses for ingestion of natural radionuclides were about 0.333 mSv ^y–1 for shallow groundwater and about 1.338 mSv y^–1 for deep groundwater samples, which are higher than the World Health Organization (WHO, 2017) guideline level (0.1 mSv y^–1) for drinking water. Ra dominated the total ingestion dose, contributing 93.06 % and 75.40 % of the total effective doses to the deep and shallow groundwater, respectively. The ingrowth and decay of natural radionuclides suggested that ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra ratio can be a useful indicator of the source of radioactive contamination. The radioactivity data obtained from the investigated groundwater samples can be used to establish a baseline for radioactivity levels in groundwater around the WIPP site.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)

Grant/Contract Number:: EM0002423

OSTI ID:: 1977068

Journal Information:: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Journal Name: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Vol. 242; ISSN 0147-6513

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (65)

226Ra-210Pb and 228Ra-228Th Dating of Barite in Submarine Hydrothermal Sulfide Deposits Collected at the Okinawa Trough and the Southern Mariana Trough Uchida, Ai; Toyoda, Shin; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro Subseafloor Biosphere Linked to Hydrothermal Systems https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54865-2_47	book	November 2014
Assessment of natural radioactivity in aquifer medium bearing uranium ores in Koprubasi, Turkey Simsek, Celalettin Environmental Geology, Vol. 55, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-1113-z	journal	November 2007
Toxicological risk assessment of protracted ingestion of uranium in groundwater Kaur, Sarabjot; Mehra, Rohit Environmental Geochemistry and Health, Vol. 41, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0162-4	journal	July 2018
Sequential isotopic determination of plutonium, thorium, americium and uranium in the air filter and drinking water samples around the WIPP site Thakur, P.; Ballard, S.; Conca, J. L. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 287, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-010-0684-4	journal	July 2010
222Rn and 226Ra activity concentrations in groundwaters of southern Poland: new data and selected genetic relations Przylibski, Tadeusz A.; Gorecka, Joanna; Kula, Agata Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 301, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3215-x	journal	June 2014
Natural radioactivity measurements in groundwater from Al-Jawa, Saudi Arabia Althoyaib, S. S.; El-Taher, A. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 304, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3874-7	journal	December 2014
Concentration of uranium in the drinking and surface water around the WIPP site Khaing, H.; Lemons, B. G.; Thakur, P. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 310, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-4825-2	journal	April 2016
Rapid sequential separation method for 210Po and actinides in air filter samples Khaing, H.; Thakur, P. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 314, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5447-z	journal	September 2017
Occurrence and behavior of uranium and thorium series radionuclides in the Permian shale hydraulic fracturing wastes Thakur, Punam; Ward, Anderson L.; Schaub, Tanner M. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol. 29, Issue 28 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-18022-z	journal	January 2022
The impact of the oil and gas industry on NORMs of groundwater and their annual effective dose in Ma’rib, central Yemen Ali, Mohsen M. M.; Zhao, Hongtao; Li, Zhigang Acta Geophysica, Vol. 68, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-020-00482-5	journal	September 2020
Occurrence of natural radioactivity and corresponding health risk in groundwater with an elevated radiation background in Juban District, Yemen Abdurabu, Wedad Ali; Saleh, Muneer Aziz; Ramli, Ahmad Termizi Environmental Earth Sciences, Vol. 75, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6142-z	journal	October 2016
An investigation about natural radioactivity, hydrochemistry, and metal pollution in groundwater from Calabrian selected areas, southern Italy Caridi, F.; Messina, M.; D’Agostino, M. Environmental Earth Sciences, Vol. 76, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-7031-9	journal	October 2017
The occurrence and behavior of radium in saline formation water of the U.S. Gulf Coast region Kraemer, Thomas F.; Reid, David F. Chemical Geology, Vol. 46, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2541(84)90186-4	journal	July 1984
Alpha-recoil damage: Relation to isotopic disequilibrium and leaching of radionuclides Fleischer, Robert L. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 52, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(88)90216-5	journal	June 1988
Modelling the effect of salinity on radium desorption from sediments Webster, Ian T.; Hancock, Gary J.; Murray, Andrew S. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 59, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(95)00141-7	journal	June 1995
The geochemical cycling of stable Pb, 210Pb, and 210Po in seasonally anoxic Lake Sammamish, Washington, USA Balistrieri, Laurie S.; Murray, James W.; Paul, Barbara Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 59, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(95)00334-7	journal	December 1995
Uranium isotopic disequilibrium in ground water as an indicator of anomalies Osmond, J. K.; Cowart, J. B.; Ivanovich, M. The International Journal of Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 34, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-708X(83)90132-1	journal	January 1983
Radium and uranium in phosphate fertilizers and their impact on the radioactivity of waters Barišić, D.; Lulić, S.; Miletić, P. Water Research, Vol. 26, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(92)90234-U	journal	May 1992
Determination of recent 238U, 234U and 230Th mobility in granitic rocks: application of a natural analogue to the high-level waste repository environment Guthrie, Vanessa Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/0883-2927(91)90063-U	journal	January 1991
Human exposure to uranium in groundwater Orloff, Kenneth G.; Mistry, Ketna; Charp, Paul Environmental Research, Vol. 94, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(03)00115-4	journal	March 2004
Radium geochemistry of ground waters in Paleozoic carbonate aquifers, midcontinent, USA Sturchio, N. C.; Banner, J. L.; Binz, C. M. Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 16, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-2927(00)00014-7	journal	January 2001
Biogeochemical factors affecting the presence of 210Po in groundwater Seiler, Ralph L.; Stillings, Lisa L.; Cutler, Nichole Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 26, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2011.01.011	journal	April 2011
Occurrence and geochemistry of radium in water from principal drinking-water aquifer systems of the United States Szabo, Zoltan; dePaul, Vincent T.; Fischer, Jeffrey M. Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 27, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2011.11.002	journal	March 2012
Occurrence and mobilization of radium in fresh to saline coastal groundwater inferred from geochemical and isotopic tracers (Sr, S, O, H, Ra, Rn) Vinson, David S.; Tagma, Tarik; Bouchaou, Lhoussaine Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 38 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.09.004	journal	November 2013
Determination of 210Po in environmental materials: A review of analytical methodology Matthews, K. Murray; Kim, Chang-Kyu; Martin, Paul Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 65, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2006.09.005	journal	March 2007
The natural radioactivity in Guarani aquifer groundwater, Brazil Bonotto, D. M.; Bueno, T. O. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 66, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2008.03.008	journal	October 2008
Determination of U and Th α-emitters in NORM samples through extraction chromatography by using new and recycled UTEVA resins Casacuberta, N.; Lehritani, M.; Mantero, J. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 70, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2011.11.063	journal	April 2012
A rapid and inexpensive method for 226Ra and 228Ra measurements of high TDS groundwaters El-Shrakawy, A.; Ebaid, Y. Y.; Burnett, W. C. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 77 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.02.013	journal	July 2013
A rapid method for the sequential separation of polonium, plutonium, americium and uranium in drinking water Lemons, B.; Khaing, H.; Ward, A. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 136 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.02.008	journal	June 2018
Analysis of the different source terms of natural radionuclides in a river affected by NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) activities Baeza, A.; Corbacho, J. A.; Guillén, J. Chemosphere, Vol. 83, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.02.042	journal	May 2011
Assessment of radioactivity contents in bedrock groundwater samples from the northern region of Saudi Arabia Almasoud, Fahad I.; Ababneh, Zaid Q.; Alanazi, Yousef J. Chemosphere, Vol. 242 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125181	journal	March 2020
Natural radioactivity and groundwater quality assessment in the northern area of the Western Desert of Egypt Yehia, Mohamed; Baghdady, Ashraf; Howari, Fares M. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, Vol. 12 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2017.06.002	journal	August 2017
Well water radioactivity and risk of cancers of the urinary organs Kurttio, Päivi; Salonen, Laina; Ilus, Taina Environmental Research, Vol. 102, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2005.12.010	journal	November 2006
Geochemical and hydrogeological factors influencing high levels of radium contamination in groundwater in arid regions Faraj, Turki; Ragab, Azza; El Alfy, Mohamed Environmental Research, Vol. 184 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109303	journal	May 2020
Assessment of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the surface soil of uranium mining area of Jharkhand, India Sethy, N. K.; Jha, V. N.; Sutar, A. K. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, Vol. 142 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2013.11.009	journal	July 2014
ICRP Publication 119: Compendium of Dose Coefficients based on ICRP Publication 60 Eckerman, K.; Harrison, J.; Menzel, H-G. Annals of the ICRP, Vol. 41 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icrp.2012.06.038	journal	January 2012
238U, 234U, 226Ra, 210Po concentrations of bottled mineral waters in Italy and their dose contribution Desideri, D.; Meli, M. A.; Feduzi, L. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 94, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2007.01.005	journal	May 2007
Separation and measurement of thorium, plutonium, americium, uranium and strontium in environmental matrices Harrison, Jennifer J.; Zawadzki, Atun; Chisari, Robert Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 102, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2010.05.010	journal	October 2011
Radioactivity in the groundwater of a high background radiation area Shabana, E. I.; Kinsara, A. A. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 137 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.07.013	journal	November 2014
Activity ratios of 234 U/ 238 U and 226 Ra/ 228 Ra for transport mechanisms of elevated uranium in alluvial aquifers of groundwater in south-western (SW) Punjab, India Kumar, A.; Karpe, R. K.; Rout, S. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 151 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.020	journal	January 2016
Chemical fractionation of radium-226 in NORM contaminated soil from oilfields Al Abdullah, Jamal; Al-Masri, Mohammad Said; Amin, Yusr Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 165 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.09.003	journal	December 2016
Rapid determination of radium-224/226 in seawater sample by alpha spectrometry Song, Lijuan; Yang, Yonggang; Luo, Maoyi Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 171 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.01.024	journal	May 2017
Uranium content and uranium isotopic disequilibria as a tool to identify hydrogeochemical processes Milena-Pérez, A.; Piñero-García, F.; Benavente, J. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 227 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106503	journal	February 2021
Optimal methods for preparation, separation, and determination of radium isotopes in environmental and biological samples Thakur, Punam; Ward, Anderson L.; González-Delgado, Amir M. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 228 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106522	journal	March 2021
The effects of preferential flow and soil texture on risk assessments of a NORM waste disposal site Pontedeiro, E. M.; van Genuchten, M. Th.; Cotta, R. M. Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 174, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.09.100	journal	February 2010
Presence of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in sludge samples from several Spanish water treatment plants Palomo, M.; Peñalver, A.; Aguilar, C. Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 181, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.05.071	journal	September 2010
Estimation of natural radioactive and heavy metals concentration in underground water Alseroury, F. A.; Almeelbi, T.; Khan, Aslam Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, Vol. 11, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2018.07.004	journal	October 2018
Disposal of very low-level radioactive waste: Lithuanian case on the approach and long-term safety aspects Poškas, P.; Kilda, R.; Šimonis, A. Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 667 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.373	journal	June 2019
A critical review on the occurrence and distribution of the uranium- and thorium-decay nuclides and their effect on the quality of groundwater Vengosh, Avner; Coyte, Rachel M.; Podgorski, Joel Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 808 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151914	journal	February 2022
Occurrence and Geochemistry of Lead-210 and Polonium-210 Radionuclides in Public-Drinking-Water Supplies from Principal Aquifers of the United States Szabo, Zoltan; Stackelberg, Paul E.; Cravotta, Charles A. Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 54, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c00192	journal	June 2020
Age Dating Oil and Gas Wastewater Spills Using Radium Isotopes and Their Decay Products in Impacted Soil and Sediment Lauer, Nancy; Vengosh, Avner Environmental Science & Technology Letters, Vol. 3, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00118	journal	May 2016
High Naturally Occurring Radioactivity in Fossil Groundwater from the Middle East Vengosh, Avner; Hirschfeld, Daniella; Vinson, David Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 43, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1021/es802969r	journal	March 2009
Concentrations of TENORMs in the petroleum industry and their environmental and health effects Ali, Mohsen M. M.; Zhao, Hongtao; Li, Zhongyu RSC Advances, Vol. 9, Issue 67 https://doi.org/10.1039/C9RA06086C	journal	January 2019
Assessment of age-dependent radiation dose and toxicity risk due to intake of uranium through the ingestion of groundwater from Northern Rajasthan, India Duggal, Vikas; Rani, Asha; Mehra, Rohit Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry, Vol. 99, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1080/02772248.2016.1196210	journal	July 2016
Natural radioactivity in groundwater – a review Dinh Chau, Nguyen; Dulinski, Marek; Jodlowski, Pawel Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, Vol. 47, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2011.628123	journal	December 2011
Drinking Water and Cancer Incidence in iowa Bean, Judy A.; Isacson, Peter; Hausler, William J. American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 116, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113493	journal	December 1982
OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF 210Pb AND 210Po IN SELECTED CALIFORNIA GROUNDWATER WELLS Ruberu, Shiyamalie R.; Liu, Yun-Gang; Perera, S. Kusum Health Physics, Vol. 92, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1097/01.HP.0000254883.26386.9b	journal	May 2007
Spatial Distribution of Orofacial Cleft Defect Births in Harris County, Texas, 1990 to 1994, and Historical Evidence for the Presence of Low-level Radioactivity in Tap Water Cech, Irina; Burau, Keith D.; Walston, Jane Southern Medical Journal, Vol. 100, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1097/SMJ.0b013e31802f7d38	journal	June 2007
Health Effects of Naturally Radioactive Water Ingestion: The Need for Enhanced Studies Canu, Irina Guseva; Laurent, Olivier; Pires, Nathalie Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 119, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1003224	journal	December 2011
Understanding the Radioactive Ingrowth and Decay of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in the Environment: An Analysis of Produced Fluids from the Marcellus Shale Nelson, Andrew W.; Eitrheim, Eric S.; Knight, Andrew W. Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 123, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408855	journal	July 2015
Radium Activity Levels in Groundwater in Saudi Arabia, and Relationship with Some Water Chemical Constituents Al-Ghamdi, Al-Ghamdi; Al-Muqrin, A. Biosciences, Biotechnology Research Asia, Vol. 13, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2273	journal	September 2016
A review of the analytical methodology to determine Radium-226 and Radium-228 in drinking waters Abbasi, Akbar Radiochimica Acta, Vol. 106, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1515/ract-2018-2967	journal	June 2018
Assessment of radioactivity from groundwater samples from selected areas of Western Black Sea Region, Turkey Özdemir Öge, Tuba; Özdemir, Firdevs Banu Radiochimica Acta, Vol. 108, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1515/ract-2019-3190	journal	November 2019
Activity Concentrations of Natural Radium, Thorium and Uranium Isotopes in Ground Water of Two Different Regions Shabana, E. I.; Al-Hobaib, A. S. ract, Vol. 87, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1524/ract.1999.87.12.41	journal	September 1999
Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in the groundwater of two islands with various geologic settings in South Korea Kim, MoonSu; Kim, Ikhyun; Jo, Hunje Geologia Croatica, Vol. 71, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.4154/gc.2018.11	journal	June 2018

Similar Records

Radiological Impact of Phosphogypsum Application in Agriculture

Journal Article · Wed Aug 04 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings · OSTI ID:21410829

Measurement of natural radionuclides in Malaysian bottled mineral water and consequent health risk estimation

Journal Article · Fri Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · AIP Conference Proceedings · OSTI ID:22488978

The use of lichen (Canoparmelia texana) as biomonitor of atmospheric deposition of natural radionuclides from U-238 and Th-232 series

Journal Article · Thu Aug 07 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · AIP Conference Proceedings · OSTI ID:21152499

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
Groundwater
Natural radionuclides
Radiation hazards
Radioactivity levels
WIPP site

Environmental evaluation of radioactivity levels and associated radiation hazards in groundwater around the WIPP site

Citation Formats

References (65)

Similar Records

Related Subjects