• Study on Gross-alpha Characteristics of Groundwater for Drinking in Korea
  • Jeong, Do-Hwan;Lee, Young-Joon;Ju, Byoung-Kyu;Noh, Hoe-Jung;Yu, Soon-Ju;Kim, Moon-Su;
  • National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;National Institute of Environmental Research;
  • 국내 음용지하수중 전알파 특성 연구
  • 정도환;이영준;주병규;노회정;유순주;김문수;
  • 국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;국립환경과학원;
Abstract
Groundwaters were sampled from 730 wells being used for drinking purposes during 2007-2009. These samples were analysed using a gas-flow type GPC (Gas Proportional Counter) according to the USEPA method (900.0). We obtained a gross-alpha counting TDS (total dissolved solid) efficiency curve (Y = 0.0017X2 - 0.3122X + 19.165, X = TDS, Y = efficiency, $R^2$ = 0.9734) using natural uranium standard to get gross ${\alpha}$ value of the samples. The gross alpha values ranged from MDA (minimum detectable activity) to 14.88 pCi/L and 429 samples showed values higher than MDA (< 0.9 pCi/L). Correlations of the uranium values with the total alpha values and the gross-alpha values indicate that uranium values have high impacts on gross-alpha values. Groundwater samples of study areas were classified into four regions according to the rock types; plutonic (granite) rock region (427 areas), metamorphic rock region (181 aeras), sedimentary rock region (70 areas), volcanic rock region (52 areas). Groundwater of Cretaceous granite presented the highest gross-alpha value. Gross alpha in groundwaters showed no relationship with uranium in terms of the geological ages, rocks and minerals.

Keywords: Gross alpha;GPC;TDS efficiency curve;Groundwater;Geological age;

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