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http://dx.doi.org/10.7857/JSGE.2013.18.4.019

Study on Temporal Decay Characteristics of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides in Groudwater in Two Mica Granite Area  

Kim, Moon Su (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Kim, Tae Seung (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Kim, Hyun Koo (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Kim, Dong Su (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Jeong, Do Hwan (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Ju, Byoung Kyu (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Hong, Jung Ki (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Kim, Hye Jin (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Park, Sun Hwa (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Jeong, Chan Ho (Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Daejeon University)
Cho, Byong Wook (Groundwater Department, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
Han, Jin Seok (Soil and Groundwater Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Publication Information
Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment / v.18, no.4, 2013 , pp. 19-31 More about this Journal
Abstract
To figure out the decay characteristics of naturally occurring radionuclides, eight sampled groundwaters from a monitoring borehole having high levels of uranium and radon concentrations in a two mica granitic area have analyzed by liquid scintillation counters (LSC) for over 1 year. In December 2011, three groundwater samples (DJ1, DJ2, DJ3) were obtained from each aquifer system located at -20 m, -40 m, -60 m of the monitoring borehole below the ground surface, respectively. Five samples (DJ4, DJ5, DJ6, DJ7, DJ8) were additionally gained from each aquifer positioned -20 m, -40 m, -60 m, -100 m, -105 m of the borehole in February 2012, respectively. Temporal variation characteristics of uranium and radon concentrations have showed over maximum 2.1 times and 1.4 times fluctuations of the values in the same sampling intervals over time, respectively. The intervals of -40 m and -105 m in the borehole have the highest values of uranium and radon concentrations, respectively. This may imply that the concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides such as uranium and radon in groundwater have been changed over time and indicate that the qualities of groundwaters from the aquifers developed at each interval in the borehole are different each other. This discrepancy, moreover, could be caused by behaviour differences between uranium which is in ionic status having a half life of 4.6 billion years and is transported along with the flowing groundwater, and radon which is in gaseous status having a 3.82 day's half life in the aquifer systems. Physicochemical characteristics of groundwaters from the aquifer systems could be identified by the results of the on-situ measuring items such as pH and Eh, and the major ionic contents. The CPM values of eight groundwater samples analysed by LSC over one year have shown not to follow the theoretical decay curve of the radon. The CPM values of the samples have ranged from 2 to 7.5 after it had passed two months when the theoretical CPM values of the radon started zero since the initial analysis. Alpha and beta particle spectrums have shown the peaks of radium-226, however they have not revealed any peaks of radon and it's daughter products such as polonium-218 and 214, bismuth-214 for the late stage of the analysis. This implies that the groundwater from the borehole may contain radium-226 having a half life of 1,600 years which decays continuously.
Keywords
Groundwater; Radiological decay; CPM; LSC; Alpha & beta particle spectrum;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 11  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
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