Radon levels in groundwaters and natural radioactivity in soils of the volcanic region of La Garrotxa, Spain

Moreno, V.; Plaza, Joan Bach i; Baixeras, C.; Font, L.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.10.021

Cited by 55 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Radon is a very mobile gas and it can escape from water with ease during the process of sampling and transportation, hence careful sample preparation is necessary. Several procedures can be found in the literature to perform measurements of radon in groundwater using different techniques such as Lucas-cell, ionization chambers, solid-state detector, or gamma spectrometry [12][13][14][15][16]. The aim of this study was to measure radon concentration in groundwater at most populated zone of Gran Canaria as a starting point for monitoring of the quality of groundwater with respect to radon gas in the whole territory as well as making a first attempt at using this gas as a tracer to establish dynamic knowledge of groundwater flow in Gran Canaria.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radon in Groundwater of the Northeastern Gran Canaria Aquifer

Aguilera

Cruz-Fuentes

Rubiano

et al. 2015

Water

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Abstract:222 Rn has been detected in 28 groundwater samples from the northeast of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) utilizing a closed loop system consisting of an AlphaGUARD monitor that measures radon activity concentration in the air by means of an ionization chamber, and an AquaKIT set that transfers dissolved radon in the water samples to the air within the circuit. Radon concentration in the water samples studied varies between 0.3 and 76.9 Bq/L. Spanish radiological protection regulations limit the concentration of 222 Rn for drinking water to 100 Bq/L, therefore the values obtained for all the analyzed samples are below this threshold. The hydrogeological study reveals a significant correspondence between the radon activity concentration and the material characteristics of the aquifer. For a selected group of samples with high radon concentrations, gross alpha activity has been determined to have values higher than the prescriptive screening level (0.1 Bq/L).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radon in Groundwater of the Northeastern Gran Canaria Aquifer

Aguilera

Cruz-Fuentes

Rubiano

et al. 2015

Water

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“…Radionuclides are natural constituents of rock, soil and water which make up our environment. Man being the product of the environment gets radiation exposure through inhalation of both outdoor and indoor air, consumption of food and water and direct exposure from the ground or through dermal contact (Abd El-mageeb et al 2011;Moreno et al 2014). The largest fraction of the exposure of humans to radiation from natural sources comes from radon gas (WHO 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual effective dose from 222Rn in groundwater of a Nigeria University campus area

et al. 2021

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Radon, the heaviest among the noble gases in the periodic table of element is a radioactive nuclide that is naturally available in rocks, soil and water. It has become the subject of many research efforts in recent years due to its leading role in causing cancer. In this study, a total of 68 groundwater samples were collected and assayed using alpha spectrometry with RAD7 radon detector with RAD-H2O accessories manufactured by Durridge CO (USA). The 222Rn concentration measured were in the range of 0.6–36.2 Bq L−1 with an average of 13.33 Bq L−1, 7.0–41.5 Bq L−1 with mean value 23.3 Bq L−1 and 0.6–27.4 Bq L−1 with an average value of 7.4 Bq L−1 for hand dug wells (HDW), hand pumped boreholes (HPB) and motorized boreholes (MBH), respectively. About 54, 86 and 15% of samples from the HDW, HPB and MBH, respectively, exceeded the parametric reference level of 11.1 Bq L−1 suggested by United State of America Environmental Protection Agency but lower than the permissible limit of 100 Bq L−1 by World Health Organization (WHO) and European Union. The average annual effective doses resulting from inhalation and ingestion of radon in water obtained for the three groundwater sources are less than recommended limits by WHO and ICRP. The data obtained from this study are comparable with similar studies conducted in Nigeria and other parts of the world as reported in literature. Continuous radon monitoring in drinking water and indoor environment is however recommended for the study area.

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“…Harrington et al, 2002) and radon (Rn 222 ) (e.g. Ellins et al, 1990;Kalbus et al, 2006;Moreno et al, 2014;Srinivasamoorthy et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of Radon (Rn222) isotopes to detect groundwater discharge in streams draining Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifers

Strydom

Nel

et al. 2021

WSA

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Environmental isotopes have been used for decades as natural tracers in studies aimed at understanding complex hydrogeological processes such as groundwater and surface water interactions. Radon (Rn222) is a naturally occurring, radioactive isotope which is produced from radium (Ra226) during the radioactive decay series of uranium (U238). Since U238 is present in most geological substrates, Rn222 is produced in various lithological structures and subsequently transported with groundwater through fractures and pore spaces in an aquifer towards surface water discharge points in rivers and springs. This study aimed to determine (i) the concentration of Rn222 within both surface water and groundwater in Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifer systems, and (ii) the feasibility of using Rn222 isotopes as a natural tracer in groundwater-surface water interaction studies. This study was conducted in a highly fractured TMG aquifer system near Rawsonville, South Africa. Surface water from two perennial rivers (i.e. Gevonden and Molenaars), together with groundwater from a nearby borehole, were sampled and their corresponding Rn222 concentrations measured. Our study found median Rn222 concentrations in the Gevonden River of 76.4 Bq∙L-1 and 67.2 Bq∙L-1 in the dry and wet seasons, respectively. Nearly 12% of surface water samples exceeded 100 Bq∙L-1. These abnormally high Rn222 concentrations can only be attributed to the influx of groundwater with extremely high Rn222 concentrations. Under ambient (no pumping) conditions, Rn222 concentrations in groundwater range between 130–270 Bq∙L-1. However, when the borehole was pumped, and inflowing water from the surrounding aquifer was sampled, even higher Rn222 concentrations (391–593 Bq∙L-1) were measured. These extremely high Rn222 concentrations in groundwater are believed to be attributed to the underlying granitic geology and the prevalence of faults. The use of Rn222 isotopes as an environmental tracer in groundwater–surface water interaction studies is therefore regarded as a feasible option in similar highly fractured aquifer systems.

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Radon levels in groundwaters and natural radioactivity in soils of the volcanic region of La Garrotxa, Spain

Cited by 55 publications

References 30 publications

Radon in Groundwater of the Northeastern Gran Canaria Aquifer

Radon in Groundwater of the Northeastern Gran Canaria Aquifer

Annual effective dose from 222Rn in groundwater of a Nigeria University campus area

The use of Radon (Rn222) isotopes to detect groundwater discharge in streams draining Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifers

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