/sup 226/Ra and /sup 228/Ra in water supplies

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985 · J., Am. Water Works Assoc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6068512

Lucas, M F

An early objective of this study was to develop a method for predicting the concentration of radium in well waters based on the well's location, the details of its construction, and the geological structures it penetrates. However, as in Aurora, Ill., /sup 226/Ra concentrations ranging from 3.8 to 18 pCi/L were found for wells of nearly identical construction located within relatively short distances from each other. Even larger deviations were found for comparisons among cities. The /sup 228/Ra concentration was determined in 140 of these samples and ranged from 0.3 to 32 pCi/L. Data obtained by other investigators in Iowa put the median /sub 228/Ra to /sup 226/Ra ratio at 0.64. Regression analysis, however, does not suggest any meaningful correlation of /sup 228/Ra and /sup 226/Ra. Because high concentrations of /sup 228/Ra have been found in areas with low /sup 226/Ra concentrations and /sup 228/Ra is not detected by gross-alpha analysis, it appears that a large-scale survey of /sup 228/Ra in water is needed.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL
• OSTI ID: 6068512
• Journal Information: J., Am. Water Works Assoc.; (United States), Vol. 77:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
RADIUM 226
DETECTION
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIUM 228
WATER WELLS
SAMPLING
WATER QUALITY
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
WATER CHEMISTRY
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICS
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM ISOTOPES
STATISTICS
WELLS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
520301* - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Water- (1987)