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Re: Uranium and radium in groundwater
I found similar concentrations in well water in South Texas wells in the
uranium producing district when I worked there. Naturally the family should
not drink that water or use it for watering livestock. Treating it with
water softeners may reduce the numbers some but you have an effluent and
waste to deal with then. The South Texas deposits are roll front deposits
where uranium in low concentrations is dissolved from upstream rocks and
redeposited at an oxidation-reduction interface. The continuing process of
dissolution and precipitation allows the deposit to migrate down dip slowly
over time.
These numbers indicate that the geochemical conditions are right for
dissolution of uranium there and I would suspect there to be some ore-grade
deposits in the vicinity of the well (which may already be known).
Lew
510 242-7040
lcoo@chevron.com
> >>> thenry@viperlink.net 01/25/01 02:12PM >>>
> A friend recently presented me some data from a private drinking water
> well
> (southeastern USA) that showed the following:
>
> total uranium = 1490 ug/L
> U-233/234 = 711 pCi/L
> U-235/236 = 21.7 pCi/L
> U-238 = 499 pCi/L
> Radium-226 = 418 pCi/L
>
> Obviously, these level exceed MCLs / risk-based activities.
> My question: Is there any way possible these activities are related to
> a
> geologic formation?
>
>
> Thanks
> Henry
>
>
>
> Thomas Henry Wood
> Blue Ridge Environmental Consulting, Inc.
> 600 Highway 25 North
> Travelers Rest, SC 29690
> 864-834-5513
> thenry@viperlink.net
>
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