U-234/U-238 ratio: Qualitative estimate of groundwater flow in Rocky Flats monitoring wells

摘要

Groundwater movement through various pathways is the primary mechanism for the transport of radionuclides and trace elements in a water/rock interaction. About three dozen wells, installed in the Rocky Flats Plant (RFP) Solar Evaporation Ponds (SEP) area, are monitored quarterly to evaluate the extent of any lateral and downgradient migration of contaminants from the Solar Evaporation Ponds: 207-A; 207-B North, 207-B Center, and 207-B South; and 207-C. The Solar Ponds are the main source for the various contaminants: radionuclides (U-238, U-234, Pu-239, 240 and Am-241); anions; and trace metals to groundwaters. The U-238 concentrations in Rocky Flats groundwaters vary from <0.2 to 69 pCi/I (IpCi = 3 ug). However, the activity U-234/U-238 ratios are low and range mostly 1.2 to 2.7. The low activity ratios can be interpreted to suggest that the groundwaters are moving slow (