A detailed examination of the chemical, hydrological, and geological properties influencing the mobility of {sup 222}radon and parent radionuclides in groundwater

Technical Report · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/674898· OSTI ID:674898

Sexsmith, K S

This study examines hydrological, geological and geochemical controls on {sup 222}Rn variability in groundwater in the Front Range of Colorado. Specific objectives of the study are: (1) to determine if there are any correlations or spatial relationships between {sup 222}Rn and the geological, geochemical and hydrogeological data; and (2) to determine whether it is geochemically reasonable for observed {sup 222}Rn levels to be the result of U and {sup 226}Ra accumulation by fracture filling minerals. Domestic-water wells were sampled and tested to determine the local aquifer characteristics and aqueous geochemistry. A multivariate and staged approach was used in the data analyses. Analysis of variance tests were used to test for relationships between {sup 222}Rn and the lithology of the study wells. The effects of rock-type were then removed from the chemical and hydrological variables by subtracting the mean value for each rock-type from each of the measured values within that rock-type (a residual transformation). Linear and linear multiple regression techniques were used to test for expected relationships between residual {sup 222}Rn levels and these variables, and stepwise linear regressions were used to test for any unforeseen multivariate relationships in the data. Correlograms, distance-weighted average and inverse-distance-weighted average predictions were used to look for spatial relationships in the data.

• Research Organization: Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG03-94ER61921
• OSTI ID: 674898
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/61921--T1; ON: DE99000123
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COLORADO
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGY
GROUND WATER
HYDROLOGY
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS
NUMERICAL DATA
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADON 222