Groundwater is an important freshwater resource, which can be affected by geogenic radionuclide contamination. To make decisions regarding the use and management of groundwater, understanding the controls of radionuclide mobility is critical. In the southern foreland of a granitic outcrop in Hungary, high gross alpha activity concentration was measured in drinking water wells, related probably to the presence of uranium. It has been suggested that understanding of the groundwater flow system may be a key aspect to understand uranium mobility in groundwater. The goal of the present work was to elucidate the conceptual model of radionuclide mobility in the study area, focusing in particular on the geochemical controls of uranium. For this purpose, water samples were collected and nuclide-specific measurements for 226Ra and radon isotopes were carried out, in addition to 234U+238U measurements, to increase the range of radionuclides and better understand their mobility. A geochemical modeling analysis involving redox-controlling kinetic reactions and a surface complexation model was developed to support the conceptual model. The results from the sampling indicate that excess of 234U+238U (3–753 mBq L−1) contribute to the natural radioactivity measured in drinking water to a large degree. 226Ra was measured in relatively low activity concentrations (<5–63 mBq L−1) with the exception of three specific wells. Notable radon activity concentration was measured in the springwaters from Velence Hills (1.01–3.14 × 105 mBq L−1) and in interrelation with the highest (285–695 mBq L−1) 226Ra activity concentrations. The geochemical model suggests that uranium distribution is sensitive to redox changes in the aquifer. Its mobility in groundwater depends on the residence time of groundwater compared to the reaction time controlling the consumption of oxidizing species. The longer the flow path from the recharge point to an observation point where U is measured, the more likely it is that reducing conditions will be found in the aquifer and the elemental concentration U will be low.

Refining the conceptual model for radionuclide mobility in groundwater in the vicinity of a Hungarian granitic complex using geochemical modeling / P. Bajak, K. Csondor, D. Pedretti, M. Muniruzzaman, H. Surbeck, B. Izsak, M. Vargha, A. Horvath, T. Pandics, A. Eross. - In: APPLIED GEOCHEMISTRY. - ISSN 0883-2927. - 137:(2022 Feb), pp. 105201.1-105201.12. [10.1016/j.apgeochem.2022.105201]

Refining the conceptual model for radionuclide mobility in groundwater in the vicinity of a Hungarian granitic complex using geochemical modeling

D. Pedretti;
2022

Abstract

Groundwater is an important freshwater resource, which can be affected by geogenic radionuclide contamination. To make decisions regarding the use and management of groundwater, understanding the controls of radionuclide mobility is critical. In the southern foreland of a granitic outcrop in Hungary, high gross alpha activity concentration was measured in drinking water wells, related probably to the presence of uranium. It has been suggested that understanding of the groundwater flow system may be a key aspect to understand uranium mobility in groundwater. The goal of the present work was to elucidate the conceptual model of radionuclide mobility in the study area, focusing in particular on the geochemical controls of uranium. For this purpose, water samples were collected and nuclide-specific measurements for 226Ra and radon isotopes were carried out, in addition to 234U+238U measurements, to increase the range of radionuclides and better understand their mobility. A geochemical modeling analysis involving redox-controlling kinetic reactions and a surface complexation model was developed to support the conceptual model. The results from the sampling indicate that excess of 234U+238U (3–753 mBq L−1) contribute to the natural radioactivity measured in drinking water to a large degree. 226Ra was measured in relatively low activity concentrations (<5–63 mBq L−1) with the exception of three specific wells. Notable radon activity concentration was measured in the springwaters from Velence Hills (1.01–3.14 × 105 mBq L−1) and in interrelation with the highest (285–695 mBq L−1) 226Ra activity concentrations. The geochemical model suggests that uranium distribution is sensitive to redox changes in the aquifer. Its mobility in groundwater depends on the residence time of groundwater compared to the reaction time controlling the consumption of oxidizing species. The longer the flow path from the recharge point to an observation point where U is measured, the more likely it is that reducing conditions will be found in the aquifer and the elemental concentration U will be low.
drinking water; groundwater; PHREEQC; redox changes; uranium
Settore GEO/05 - Geologia Applicata
   Excellency Network Building for Comprehensive Research and Assessment of Geofluids (ENeRAG)
   ENeRAG
   EUROPEAN COMMISSION
   H2020
   810980
feb-2022
10-gen-2022
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Baják et al. - 2022 - Refining the conceptual model for radionuclide mob.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 6.21 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
6.21 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/906404
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 11
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 9
social impact