| NUKLEONIKA 2010, 55(4):519-522
URANIUM, RADIUM AND RADON ISOTOPES IN SELECTED BRINES
OF POLAND
Beata Kozłowska1, Agata Walencik1, Tadeusz A. Przylibski2, Jerzy Dorda1,
Wiktor Zipper 1
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, Institute of Mining,
Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Wrocław University of Technology,
27 Wybrzeże S. Wyspiańskiego, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Natural radioactive isotopes were studied in nine different types of brines from four locations in Poland. Investigated brines are exploited from various geological structures composed of the rocks of different chemical and mineral composition as well as different age and depth. All investigated brines are used in balneotherapy (i.e. baths, inhalations, showers). The main goal of this study was to obtain some basic knowledge on the activity range of natural elements such as uranium, radium and radon in different brine types in Poland and their variability depending on their location in certain geological structures. Activities of 234,238U, 226,228Ra and 222Rn isotopes were measured with the use of two nuclear spectrometry techniques: liquid scintillation and alpha spectrometry. The activity concentrations of 222Rn vary from below 1 to 76.1±3.7 Bq/l, for the 226Ra isotope from 0.19±0.01 to 85.5±0.4 Bq/l and for 228Ra from below 0.03 to 2.17±0.09 Bq/l. For uranium isotopes, the concentrations are in the range from below 0.5 to 5.1±0.4 mBq/l for 238U and from 1.6±0.4 to 45.6±2.0 mBq/l for 234U. The obtained results indicate high radium activity concentrations corresponding to high mineralization of waters.
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