226Ra and 222Rn in Natural Waters in Two Typical Locations in Spain

Abstract

A preliminary study is presented, preliminary to a full-scale national survey on 226Ra and 222Rn levels in surface and underground waters in two regions of Spain of very different geological composition, which were selected as representative of the two main geological types existing in the Iberian peninsula. 222Rn concentrations in the different natural waters collected show values ranging from 0.8 to 75 Bq.l-1 in the first area and from 20 to 25,000 Bq.l-1 in the second. 226Ra concentrations in domestic water supplied were found to be over the detection limit for almost all the samples collected, with values reaching about 4 Bq.l-1 in some cases.