Transient nature of riverbank filtered drinking water supply systems - A new challenge of natural radioactivity assessment

Abstract

In Hungary the drinking water supply is mainly based on groundwater, in which radionuclides are common components. Since the mobility of the most common radionuclides, uranium and radium, is strongly influenced by the geochemical conditions, knowledge on the geochemical parameters of water is required. This depends on the flow system and the flow regime. Therefore, hydrogeology has a crucial role in revealing the origin of elevated activity concentrations. This research presents a case study in Hungary where the drinking water supply is provided by bank filtered and karst wells. In most of the wells of the research area the gross alpha values are above the screening level, 0.1 Bq L 1. The aim of this study is to determine which radionuclides may cause the elevated radioactivity and explain their occurrence using the hydrogeological approach. All samples of the study were analysed for (U-238þU-234), Ra-226, Rn-222. Alpha spectrometry applied on Nucfilm discs was used to measure the uranium and radium activity while radon activity was determined by liquid scintillation. The study revealed the correlation between the river water level fluctuation and the uranium content of the wells. The results of this study highlighted the transient nature of river bank filtered systems, which should be taken into account in the monitoring and water supply strategy.

A Comprehensive Radiological Survey of Groundwater Resources in Artisanal Mining Communities in the Eastern Region of Ghana: Water Quality vs. Mining Activities

“…Groundwater is a geologic agent that interacts with its environment. It can mobilize, transport, and accumulate matter-among these are also radioactive elements [4][5][6]. Studies have shown that groundwater may contain appreciable quantities of radionuclides.…”

Natural Radioactivity in Drinking Water in the Surroundings of a Metamorphic Outcrop in Hungary: The Hydrogeological Answer to Practical Problems

“…When gross alpha activity exceeds the screening value in the waterwork wells, radionuclide-specific measurements are needed to evaluate whether the effective dose received from drinking water consumption exceeds the 0.1 mSv y −1 parametric value. For an in-depth understanding of the radioactivity phenomenon, a groundwater flow system approach is a powerful tool, as it explains the systematic distribution of geochemical elements in groundwater [2,16,17].…”

Assessment of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides Concentration in Selected Mineral Waters Available on the Polish Market

“…In the United States, the applicable legal regulations stipulate that the total concentration of 228 Ra and 226 Ra should be measured, and the total level of contamination must not exceed 185 MBq/L [38]. In Turkey and Hungary, according to the regulations in force, there are limit values for alpha and beta radiation, respectively: 0.1 Bq/L and 1 Bq/L [39,40]. In Australia, the total effective dose of radionuclides (without 40 K potassium) in drinking water should not be greater than 1 mSv/a [41,42].…”