Hydrogeologic and geochemical studies of selected natural radioisotopes and barium in groundwater in Illinois. Final report

Technical Report · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5745623

Gilkeson, R H; Cartwright, K; Cowart, J B; Holtzman, R B

Dissolved concentrations of the natural radioisotopes /sup 222/Rn, /sup 226/Ra, /sup 228/Ra, /sup 230/Th, /sup 232/Th, /sup 234/U and /sup 238/U and the element Ba/sup 2 +/ were investigated in a study of high concentrations of /sup 226/Ra, /sup 228/Ra, and Ba/sup 2 +/ in groundwater from the Cambrian and Ordovician bedrock of northern Illinois. The high radium and barium concentrations are naturally present in the major aquifers - the sandstone bedrock; therefore, remedial well construction measures will not lower the concentrations. The combined concentrations of /sup 226/Ra and /sup 228/Ra range from 2.3 to 50.2 pCi/L; the majority of analyses exceed the limit in the drinking water regulations of 5.0 pCi/L. The /sup 226/Ra//sup 228/Ra activity ratio ranges from 0.2 to 41.0; a /sup 226/Ra analysis has no validity for predicting the /sup 228/Ra concentration. Important controls on dissolved /sup 226/Ra concentrations are secondary U on the sandstone matrix and the ionic strength of groundwater. The distribution of accessory minerals that contain /sup 232/Th is believed to be an important control on dissolved /sup 228/Ra concentrations. Locally the dissolved /sup 226/Ra and /sup 228/Ra concentrations are affected by dissolution-precipitation of secondary barite. Dissolved concentrations of /sup 222/Rn and U are less than proposed drinking water regulations. The extreme enrichment in /sup 234/U that occurs widespread in groundwater from the Cambrian and Ordovician bedrock is unique and problematic. The enrichment may reflect recharge of uranium to the bedrock by glacial processes. Dissolved Ba/sup 2 +/ concentrations range from < 0.01 to 22.4 mg/L. The high Ba/sup 2 +/ concentrations occur in groundwater that is depleted in dissolved SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ by anaerobic microbial reactions. A map presents the distribution of Ba/sup 2 +/ in groundwater from the Cambrian and Ordovician bedrock in northeastern Illinois. 60 references, 13 figures, 3 tables.

• Research Organization: Illinois State Geological Survey, Champaign (USA); Florida State Univ., Tallahassee (USA); Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5745623
• Report Number(s): UILU-WRC-83-0180; ON: DE84001404
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520301* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring &amp; Transport-- Water-- (1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTIVITY LEVELS
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AQUIFERS
BARIUM
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CAMBRIAN PERIOD
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISTRIBUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION V
GEOLOGIC AGES
GROUND WATER
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ILLINOIS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ORDOVICIAN PERIOD
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PALEOZOIC ERA
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADIUM 226
RADIUM 228
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
USA
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES