Original scientific paper
226Ra and 228Ra in Croatian Rivers
Tomislav Bituh
Branko Petrinec
Gordana Marović
Jasminka Senčar
Iva Gospodarić
Abstract
The presence of natural radionuclides in Croatian rivers emphasizes the need for its continuous monitoring. Therefore
results of 226Ra and 228Ra determination in Croatian river waters are presented in this paper. 226Ra and 228Ra were
chosen as a possible source of human exposure due to their high radio-toxicity. Fifty liters of river water samples were collected
from the Danube, Drava, Sava, Krka and Neretva rivers twice a year from 2002 to 2006. It is showed that activity
concentrations of 226Ra ranged from 6.54 mBq/L to 59.44 mBq/L and 228Ra activity concentrations ranged from 2.57
mBq/L to 20.76 mBq/L. The highest values of both 226Ra and 228Ra were measured in the river Drava, and the lowest values
in the river Sava. Statistically significant differences were not observed between radium concentrations from two watersheds
(the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea watershed), nor between 226Ra/228Ra ratio in rivers individually. The number
of collected samples is insufficient to make more statistically significant conclusions. However the data obtained in
this study could be the baseline for evaluating possible future changes.
Keywords
natural radioactivity; 226Ra; 228Ra; river water; monitoring
Hrčak ID:
34550
URI
Publication date:
1.10.2008.
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