J. Bach

Radon levels in groundwaters and natural radioactivity in soils of the volcanic region of La Garrotxa, Spain.

Groundwater radon level and soil radionuclide concentration have been measured in the volcanic region of La Garrotxa (Catalonia, Spain) to further research on the origin and dynamics of high radon levels over volcanic materials found in this region. Water samples from different aquifers have been collected from wells and springs and the water radon levels obtained have been lower than 30 Bq l(-1). Soil samples have been collected from different geological formations (volcanic and non-volcanic), being Quaternary sedimentary deposits those that have presented the highest mean values of (40)K, (226)Ra and (232)Th concentrations (448 ± 70 Bq kg(-1), 35 ± 5 Bq kg(-1) and 38 ± 5 Bq kg(-1), respectively). Additionally, indoor/outdoor terrestrial radiation absorbed dose rate in air have been measured to better characterize the region from the radiological point of view. Terrestrial radiation absorbed dose rates measurement points have been chosen on the basis of geological and demographical considerations and the results obtained, from 27 to 91 nGy h(-1), show a clear relation with geological formation materials. The highest terrestrial gamma absorbed dose rate is observed over Quaternary sedimentary deposits as well. All these results help to better understand previous surveys related with indoor and outdoor radon levels and to reinforce the hypotheses of a radon transport through the fissure network.

The impact of droughts and climate change on sinkhole occurrence. A case study from the evaporite karst of the Fluvia Valley, NE Spain

This work introduces the concept that sinkhole frequency in some karst settings increases during drought periods. This conception is tested in a sector of the Fluvia River valley in NE Spain, where subsidence phenomena is related to the karstification of folded Eocene evaporite formations. In the discharge areas, the evaporites behave as confined aquifers affected by hypogene karstification caused by aggressive artesian flows coming form an underlying carbonate aquifer. A sinkhole inventory with chronological data has been constructed, revealing temporal clusters. Those clusters show a good correlation with drought periods, as revealed by precipitation, river discharge and piezometric data. This temporal association is particularly obvious for the last and current drought starting in 1998, which is the most intense of the record period (1940-present). Climatic projections based on recent studies foresee an intensification of the droughts in this sector of NE Spain, which could be accompanied by the enhancement of the sinkhole hazard and the associated risks.

Characterization of radon levels in soil and groundwater in the North Maladeta Fault area (Central Pyrenees) and their effects on indoor radon concentration in a thermal spa

Radon levels in the soil and groundwater in the North Maladeta Fault area (located in the Aran Valley sector, Central Pyrenees) are analysed from both geological and radiation protection perspectives. This area is characterized by the presence of two important normal faults: the North Maladeta fault (NMF) and the Tredós Fault (TF). Two primary aspects make this study interesting: (i) the NMF shows geomorphic evidence of neotectonic activity and (ii) the presence of a thermal spa, Banhs de Tredós, which exploits one of the several natural springs of the area and needs to be evaluated for radiation dosing from radon according to the European regulation on basic safety standards for protection against ionizing radiation. The average soil radon and thoron concentrations along a profile perpendicular to the two normal faults - 22 ± 3 kBq·m-3 and 34 ± 3 kBq·m-3, respectively - are not high and can be compared to the radionuclide content of the granitic rocks of the area, 25 ± 4 Bq·kg-1 for 226Ra and 38 ± 2 Bq·kg-1 for 224Ra. However, the hypothesis that the normal faults are still active is supported by the presence of anomalies in both the soil radon and thoron levels that are unlikely to be of local origin together with the presence of similar anomalies in CO2 fluxes and the fact that the highest groundwater radon values are located close to the normal faults. Additionally, groundwater 222Rn data have complemented the hydrochemistry data, enabling researchers to better distinguish between water pathways in the granitic and non-granitic aquifers. Indoor radon levels in the spa vary within a wide range, [7-1664] Bq·m-3 because the groundwater used in the treatment rooms is the primary source of radon in the air. Tap water radon levels inside the spa present an average value of 50 ± 8 kBq·m-3, which does not exceed the level stipulated by the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) of 100 kBq·m-3 for water used for human consumption. This finding implies that even relatively low radon concentration values in water can constitute a relevant indoor radon source when the transfer from water to indoor air is efficient. The estimated effective dose range of values for a spa worker due to radon inhalation is [1-9] mSv·y-1. The use of annual averaged radon concentration values may significantly underestimate the dose in these situations; therefore, a detailed dynamic study must be performed by considering the time that the workers spend in the spa.