Re: Uranium, radium in Groundwater

[BLHamrick@aol.com]

We have seen other wells with comparable levels in a few private wells in 
California, in remote areas.  The one I particularly remember had about 3560 
pCi/L total uranium.  The isotopic ratios in that case, appeared to confirm 
that it was natural uranium.  I have heard similar stories out of other 
states, but don't have the data with me here at home.

Barbara L. Hamrick
BLHamrick@aol.com

In a message dated 01/25/2001 1:45:01 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
franz.schoenhofer@chello.at writes:


> >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?
>
>
> These values are horrifying!!!! Are you sure that this really refers to
> drinking water from a private well? I cannot believe it. It looks much more
> like untreated waste water from uranium mining.
> What makes me even more suspicious is that
> - a sum of U-233 and U-234 is given. I do not know of any analytical method
> to yield the sum of these two radionuclides and anyway U-233 could only be
> present in negligible amounts, but I am far from knowing everything. U-234
> is usually present in approximately the same activity concentration as
> U-238, but of course disequilibrium occurs frequently.
> - U-236 is only produced by neutron capture of U-235, which means that it
> can only be produced in a nuclear reactor and is otherwise not present on
> earth. Again I do not know any analytical method which would yield the sum
> of these two radionuclides and again I emphasize that I do not know
> everything.
> - I do not know by heart the activity concentration ratio of U-235 and
> U-238, but I have a strong feeling that the ratio given in these results
> does not correspond to the 0.7 % U-235 based on weight.
> - The Ra-226 concentration claimed would be a nightmare and it is absolutely
> unbelievable. It would be more than 100 fold the maximum permissible limits
> valid in most countries and anyway in the European Union.
> - I miss values for the daughter products of radium-226, starting from
> radon, which is usually higher by several orders of magnitude than the
> Ra-226 activity concentrations and also for Pb-210 and Po-210 which are of
> similar toxicity like Ra-226 and Ra-228. They would be of much radiation
> protection concern.
>
> In Europe there are drinking water supplies with alarming levels of
> naturally occuring radionuclides in Sweden and especially Finland, but they
> are lower by orders of magnitude than the values you cited.
>
> Since I used to work a lot with natural radioactivity in drinking water, I
> would appreciate if you could keep me informed about this case and what is
> behind it. Please take it to my private e-mail-address.