Hydrochemical behaviour of long-lived natural radionuclides in Spanish groundwaters

• Published in: Catena (Giessen) 2020-08, Vol.191, p.104558, Article 104558
• Main Authors: Pérez-Moreno, S.M., Guerrero, J.L., Mosqueda, F., Gázquez, M.J., Bolívar, J.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alpha spectrometry; Groundwater; Indicative Dose; Long-lived radionuclides; Natural radioactivity
• ISSN: 0341-8162; 1872-6887
• DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2020.104558

•Naturally-occurring radionuclides in drinking mineral waters were investigated.•α-spectrometry is a reliable technique to radiologically characterize waters.•Geologic and Hydrochemical parameters control radionuclide concentrations.•226Ra and 210Pb are the main contributors to the indicative dose in the waters. This research was focused on the analyses of the hydrochemical behaviour of long-lived natural radionuclides (210Po, 210Pb, 234,238U, 230,232Th, 226,228Ra) in groundwaters from Spanish aquifers with different geological characteristics and the evaluation of the dose by ingestion of these waters. The study was performed by the gross alpha-beta, alpha spectrometry and physicochemical analysis of a set of bottled drinking waters. Radionuclide activities in the investigated aquifers were highly variable. High concentration of 210Pb is associated with granitic bedrock and reducing conditions. On the other hand, the highest 238,234U concentrations were found in carbonate aquifers. Activities of 226Ra are largely controlled by ion exchange reactions due to the presence of relatively high concentration of chloride. Several waters exceeded the parametric value for gross alpha mainly due to 234U, 226Ra and/or 210Pb concentrations. Moreover, the content of 226Ra and 210Pb in the water contributed mainly to the indicative dose.