| NUKLEONIKA 2010, 55(2):169-175
NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY OF GROUNDWATER
FROM THE PRZERZECZYN-ZDRÓJ SPA
Agata Walencik1, Beata Kozłowska1, Tadeusz A. Przylibski2, Jerzy Dorda1,
Wiktor Zipper1
1 Department of Nuclear Physics and Its Applications, Institute of Physics, University of Silesia,
4 Uniwersytecka Str., 40-007 Katowice, Poland
2 Division of Geology and Mineral Waters, Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology,
Institute of Mining, Wrocław University of Technology,
27 Wybrzeże S. Wyspiańskiego Str.,
50-370 Wrocław, Poland
The present authors performed investigations of natural radioactivity in groundwater from the Przerzeczyn-Zdrój Spa. Some of the waters are regarded as medical and are used for balneological purposes. Samples from seven groundwater intakes were collected 5 times over a period of 8 years (1999–2007). In order to obtain necessary data, two different nuclear spectrometry techniques were applied: alpha spectrometry and liquid scintillation spectrometry. The activity concentrations of 222Rn varied in the range from 15±2 Bq/l to 154±22 Bq/l. The results of activity concentrations of 226,228Ra varied from below 10 mBq/l to 30±1.5 mBq/l and from below 30 mBq/l to 60±4 mBq/l, respectively. Activity concentration lower than minimum detectable activity (MDA) was obtained for 3 samples for 226Ra and 4 for 228Ra determinations out of 7 investigated samples. The uranium content in the studied samples was determined once and the value ranged from 4.5±0.6 mBq/l to 13.6±1.2 mBq/l for 238U and from 17.1±0.9 mBq/l to 52.2±2.8 mBq/l for 234U. All obtained values for uranium isotopes showed activity concentrations above MDA. The activity ratios 234U/238U, 222Rn/226Ra and 226Ra/238U and the correlations between different isotopes concentrations were evaluated.
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