Radon is useful as a tracer of certain geophysical processes in marine and aquatic environments. Recent applications include detection groundwater discharges into surface waters assessment air/sea gas piston velocities. Much the research performed past decade has relied on continuous measurements made field using radon stripping unit connected to radon-in-air system. This approach assumes that chemical equilibrium attained between water phases resulting air activity can be multiplied by...

Abstract. Radon-222, a naturally-occurring radioisotope with half-life of 3.8 days, was used to estimate groundwater discharge small lakes in wetland-dominated basins the vicinity Fort McMurray, Canada. This region is under significant water development pressure including both oil sands mining and situ extraction. Field investigations were carried out March July 2008 measure radon-222 distributions column two as tracer discharge. Radon concentrations these ranged from 0.5 72 Bq/m3, while...

Abstract Lacustrine groundwater discharge (LGD) and the related water residence time are crucial parameters for quantifying lake matter budgets assessing its vulnerability to contaminant input. Our approach utilizes stable isotopes of (δ 18 O, δ 2 H) radioisotope radon ( 222 Rn) determining long‐term average short‐term snapshots in LGD. We conducted isotope balances 0.5‐km Lake Ammelshainer See (Germany) based on measurements inventories composition accompanied by good quality comprehensive...

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into the ocean is of general interest because it acts as vehicle for transport dissolved contaminants and/or nutrients coastal sea and may be accompanied by loss significant volumes freshwater. Due to large-scale long-term nature related hydrological processes, environmental tracers are required SGD investigation. The water parameters electrical conductivity temperature, naturally occurring radionuclides radon radium well stable isotopes 18O 2H have...

Due to its short half-life (87 days), naturally occurring radio-sulfur (35S) is applicable as aqueous environmental tracer for investigating groundwater residence times shorter than one year. Being a pure β-decaying radionuclide, 35S detected straightforwardly by means of liquid scintillation counting (LSC). The rather low activities in natural waters require (i) careful sample preparation aiming at extracting 35SO42- from large-volume water samples (ca. 20 L) resulting ready LSC measurement...

Research on groundwater residence times is crucial for assessing infiltration rates and aquifer vulnerabilities, both playing a vital role in sustainable water resource management. This study aimed at advancing the use of short-lived cosmogenic radionuclide 35S (“radio-sulfur”, t1/2 = 87.4 d) determining less than one year. The results show that provides valuable tool evaluating times, rates, vulnerabilities. preconcentration 35SO42- using an anion exchange resin...

Measurements of the radon concentration in a column (1 m2 x 2 m) consisting homogeneous mixture dry sand and uranium tailings have been performed to obtain information on transport under well defined conditions. The dependence has exclusively studied soil/air temperature gradient wind speed. soil moisture content kept constant. Significant diurnal variations were detected uppermost layer at interface. Such behavior was not found 30 cm deeper layers. It is argued that variation mainly...

Abstract Quantification of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is essential for evaluating the vulnerability coastal water bodies to pollution and understanding body material cycles response due potential nutrients, organic compounds, or heavy metals. Here we present an environmental tracer‐based methodology quantifying SGD into Knysna Estuary, South Africa. Both components SGD, (1) fresh, terrestrial (FSGD) (2) saline, recirculated (RSGD), were differentiated. We conducted end‐member...

Naturally occurring radon‐222 was evaluated for its use in estimating groundwater flow velocities using single‐well tests. Investigations were carried out four different well scenarios, which revealed the advantages and limitations of approach. On one hand, it shown that radon is useful as an environmental tracer because (1) low costs method, (2) avoidance any artificial injection into aquifer, (3) immediate availability results, (4) need only a single monitoring well. other several...

The paper presents an improved approach for investigating submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) based on radon mapping and mass balancing in the coastal sea. While use of as environmental tracer SGD studies is well-established, we identified our longstanding experience six methodical shortcomings conventional suggest corresponding developments. include: (1 2) inadequate consideration both detection equipment response delay influence tidal stage; (3 4) incorrect quantification losses, due to...

The study focuses on elevated levels of environmental radioactivity present in heavy mineral deposits located along a 120-km coastal section Cox's Bazar the eastern panhandle Bangladesh. are situated or at sand dunes recent beach (foredune area) attached paleo-beach areas (backdune area). This investigates activity concentrations bulk sands (six representative samples) and five fractions separated from order to assess potential radio-ecological effects possible use as source for uranium...

Groundwater discharge into an open pit lignite mining lake was investigated using radon-222 as a naturally occurring environmental tracer. The chosen study site meromictic lake, i.e., water body that is divided horizontally two separate layers--the upper mixolimnion (with seasonal mixing) and the lower monimolimnion (without mixing). For estimation of groundwater rates simple box model including all radon sinks sources related to each layer applied. Two field investigations were performed....

The on-site measurement of radon-in-water concentrations relies on extraction radon from the water followed by its detection means a mobile radon-in-air monitor. Many applications as naturally occurring aquatic tracer require collection continuous concentration time series, thus necessitating either permanent stream supplied pump or directly body groundwater monitoring well. Essentially, three different types units are available for this purpose: (i) flow-through spray chamber, (ii) membrane...