Preliminary assessment of water quality in the alluvial aquifer of the Puerco River basin, northeastern Arizona

Book · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6829925

Webb, R H; Rink, G R; Radtke, D B

The quality of groundwater in the alluvial aquifer of the Puerco River basin northeastern Arizona, was evaluated in order to assess potential contamination from uranium mining and milling operations in New Mexico. A total of 14 wells and 1 spring were sampled to determine if a contaminant plume of radionuclides or trace elements is present. The water is characterized by high dissolved solids with a median of 698 mg/l and high concentrations of alkalinity, sodium, and sulfate. Except for iron, manganese, and strontium, the concentrations of trace elements generally are below the applicable EPA and State of Arizona maximum contaminant levels. Uranium, which accounts for most of the gross alpha activity, has a median concentration of 19 micrograms/l and ranges from 1 to 38 micrograms/l. 20% to 84% of the gross alpha activity was derived from other undetermined radionuclides. Other radionuclides, including radium-226 and radium-228, generally are not present in activities > 5 picocuries/l in the water. Statistical analysis of the water quality data suggest that no contaminant plume can be defined on the basis of samples from existing wells. The contamination in the alluvial aquifer apparently does not change in the downstream direction along the Puerco River. The geochemistry of radionuclides indicates that most radionuclides from the uranium-decay series are immobile or only slightly mobile, whereas uranium will not precipitate out of solution but may be removed by sorption in the alluvial aquifer. 49 refs., 15 figs., 6 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6829925
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540330* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AQUIFERS
ARIZONA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION IX
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MILL TAILINGS
MINES
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADIUM 226
RADIUM 228
RADIUM ISOTOPES
SOLID WASTES
TAILINGS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
URANIUM
URANIUM MINES
USA
WASTES
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES