Refining the conceptual model for radionuclide mobility in groundwater in the vicinity of a Hungarian granitic complex using geochemical modeling

Baják, Petra; Csondor, Katalin; Pedretti, Daniele; Muniruzzaman, Muhammad; Surbeck, Heinz; Izsák, Bálint; Vargha, Márta; Horváth, Ákos; Pándics, Tamás; Erőss, Anita

doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2022.105201

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Water samples for uranium analysis were collected in 0.25 L PP bottles at fewer sites, altogether 16 sites: 12 springs, 1 creek and 3 locations in Lake Balaton (Figure 5). Total uranium activity, ΣU = 234 U + 235 U + 238 U, was determined by alpha spectrometry using NucFilm discs (see measurement details in Baják et al [11,92] and Surbeck [93]).…”

Section: Results Interpretation and Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multimethodological Revisit of the Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction in the Balaton Highland Region—Implications for the Overlooked Groundwater Component of Lake Balaton, Hungary

Tóth

Baják

Szijártó

et al. 2023

Water

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The hummocky Balaton Highland is located in western Hungary and is part of the Transdanubian Mountains, the most extensive carbonate aquifer system in Hungary. The study region also encompasses Lake Balaton, the biggest lake in central Europe, which is to the south of Balaton Highland. The surface water–groundwater interaction in the Balaton Highland–Lake Balaton region and the groundwater contribution to Lake Balaton are revisited in this paper. Hydrostratigraphic classification was performed first; then, groundwater flow directions by hydraulic head distribution were analysed, and baseflow indices of surface watercourses were calculated. Regarding hydrochemical characterisation, general hydrochemical facies were identified, natural tracers of temperature, chloride and uranium were applied, and the stable isotopic composition of oxygen and hydrogen was determined. Finally, groundwater flow and heat transport were simulated in a 2D numerical model. A high level of hydraulic interaction was evidenced between surface water and groundwater and the sub-regions of Bakony Mountains, Balaton Highland and Lake Balaton by physical and chemical parameters, numerical simulation and groundwater-flow-related natural manifestations, revealing hydraulic continuity in the study region. Based on the results, the division of legislative water bodies can be reconsidered, especially that surface water and groundwater should be regarded as interconnected, and Lake Balaton can be considered a groundwater-dependent ecosystem in any water-use planning in the region.

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Section: Results Interpretation and Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multimethodological Revisit of the Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction in the Balaton Highland Region—Implications for the Overlooked Groundwater Component of Lake Balaton, Hungary

Tóth

Baják

Szijártó

et al. 2023

Water

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“…When the water table level rises in the direction of the Danube, the water can escape at two sites: a mixed water spring and a subaqueous spring (Figure 1). The prevailing direction of regional groundwater flow is west to east [25].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Water and Weathering Processes in Landslides in Hungarian Loess Sediments

et al. 2023

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Loess-paleosol bluffs can be unstable, but in the course of urbanization, houses may be built in such locations to take advantage of the view. One factor affecting the stability of such bluffs is water, the role of which in mass movements is well established. In this study, the connection of mass movements to meteorological conditions, such as rainfall and subsequent water level changes, was researched using new statistical methods. The periodicity of the water level of the Danube was analyzed using wavelet spectrum analyses, while changepoint analysis was used to determine variations in the quantity of precipitation. These results were compared to the chronology of six mass movements in Kulcs, Hungary. This study also focused on the changes in geochemical properties of loess in different weather conditions (dry periods, wet periods, and flooding). The results showed that only two mass movements were connected to hydrological conditions, and in the other case human activity and geochemical changes may have been factors. The results of geochemical models created using PHREEQC showed calcite and kaolinite precipitation, and albite and dolomite dissolution as the main mineral changes over the course of a year. Albite was found to dissolve only in wet periods, and kaolinite precipitation was significant during flood periods.

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“…After extracting the radionuclides from the water sample using chemisorption, the discs are measured by an alpha detector for another 24 h. The expected detection limit using a 100 mL sample for one-day measurement is approximately 5 mBq L −1 for both total uranium and 226 Ra measurements. Further details on this sample pretreatment and measurement method can be found in the Electronic Supplementary Materials in Baják et al [75].…”

Section: Sampling and Laboratory Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural Radioactivity in Drinking Water in the Surroundings of a Metamorphic Outcrop in Hungary: The Hydrogeological Answer to Practical Problems

Baják

Molnár

Csondor

et al. 2023

Water

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Groundwater quality constantly evolves through rock–water interactions, which can enrich groundwater with undesirable elements such as naturally occurring radionuclides. The aim of this study was to understand the cause of gross alpha activity exceeding the screening value of 0.1 Bq L−1 measured in groundwater-derived drinking water in the vicinity of a metamorphic outcrop in Hungary. As groundwater quality is strongly dependent on the properties of groundwater flow systems, environmental tracers (δ2H and δ18O composition, 226Ra, 222Rn, total U activity concentration, and 234U/238U ratio) and hydraulic evaluation were applied to understand groundwater dynamics. The collected groundwater samples had total U activities up to 540 mBq L−1, which translates into an indicative dose below the drinking water parametric value. However, in the presence of dissolved uranium, the δ2H (−52.6–(−83.4)) and δ18O (−7.17–(−11.96)) values led to the conclusion that local flow systems were sampled that are known to be most vulnerable to any changes in their recharge area. The results confirm that the groundwater flow system approach involving environmental tracers and hydraulic evaluation is a powerful tool for identifying the cause of natural radioactivity in groundwater-derived drinking water.

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Refining the conceptual model for radionuclide mobility in groundwater in the vicinity of a Hungarian granitic complex using geochemical modeling

Cited by 10 publications

References 53 publications

Multimethodological Revisit of the Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction in the Balaton Highland Region—Implications for the Overlooked Groundwater Component of Lake Balaton, Hungary

Multimethodological Revisit of the Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction in the Balaton Highland Region—Implications for the Overlooked Groundwater Component of Lake Balaton, Hungary

The Role of Water and Weathering Processes in Landslides in Hungarian Loess Sediments

Natural Radioactivity in Drinking Water in the Surroundings of a Metamorphic Outcrop in Hungary: The Hydrogeological Answer to Practical Problems

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