Distribution Characteristics of Uranium and Radon Concentration in Groundwaters of Provinces in Korea

Abstract

In order to figure out the characteristics of radionuclides concentrations of nine provinces, we analyzed uranium and radon in 681 samples of groundwater. Most of uranium concentrations in each province were less than 10 µg/L, and Gyeongnam, Jeonnam, Jeju provinces did not have groundwaters exceeding the US EPA drinking water MCL (30µg/L) of uranium. The ratio of radon values exceeding US EPA drinking water AMCL (4,000 pCi/L) was 22.6% (154/681) and Gyeongnam and Jeju provinces had no groundwaters exceeding the AMCL (alternative maximum contaminant level). Uranium and radon concentrations in groundwaters of Gyeonggi, Chungbuk, Jeonbuk, Chungnam mainly composed of the Mesozoic granite and the Precambrian gneiss were relatively high, but the concentrations of Gyeongnam and Jeju widely comprised of the sedimentary rock and the volcanic rock were relatively low. A week correlation between uranium and radon values showed in Gangwon, Chungbuk, Gyeonggi provinces.

Radon concentration and affecting environmental conditions in water-curtain heated cultivation facilities

“…Agricultural greenhouses carry a greater risk of radon exposure than typical buildings because of the abundance of exposed soil, and farmers working in the early morning are exposed to radon that accumulates nightly in sealed greenhouses [ 8 , 9 ]. Water curtain cultivation (WCC) facilities spray groundwater to form a water film on the inner houses for heat insulation in the winter season, which leads to an additional risk of radon in the groundwater being released into the air [ 10 , 11 ]. A case study showed that radon concentrations in three nearby WCC facilities reached a few thousand Bq/m 3 and varied greatly among the measuring sites [ 12 ].…”