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Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework
Published on: July 24, 2016
Experience in using radon and thoron data to solve environmental and water problems.
S Chanyotha1, W C Burnett, M Taniguchi
1Department of Nuclear Technology Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. supitcha.c@chula.ac.th
Radiation Protection Dosimetry
|September 28, 2010
Summary
Thoron, a short-lived radon isotope, effectively traces groundwater seepage into Bangkok canals. Its rapid decay pinpoints discharge points more precisely than radon, revealing non-uniform seepage patterns.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Hydrogeology
- Radiochemistry
Background:
- Groundwater seepage into Bangkok canals is a known issue, potentially contributing to nutrient contamination.
- Previous studies utilized radon ((222)Rn) and conductivity, indicating shallow groundwater inflow.
- Radon's longer half-life limits precise localization of seepage points.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce thoron ((220)Rn) as a novel, more precise groundwater tracer.
- Investigate the spatial variability of groundwater seepage into Bangkok canals.
- Assess thoron's utility for identifying localized groundwater discharge.
Main Methods:
- Field measurements of thoron concentrations in Bangkok canal waters.
- Comparison of thoron distribution with existing radon and conductivity data.
- Utilizing thoron's short half-life (56 seconds) for source localization.
Main Results:
- Thoron was successfully detected and measured in Bangkok canals.
- Thoron distribution exhibited higher variability than radon, indicating localized seepage.
- The short half-life of thoron allowed for more precise identification of groundwater discharge locations.
Conclusions:
- Thoron ((220)Rn) is a viable and effective tracer for detecting groundwater seepage.
- Thoron's rapid decay provides superior spatial resolution for pinpointing groundwater discharge points compared to radon.
- Groundwater seepage into Bangkok canals is spatially non-uniform, with localized inputs.
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