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Radiological assessment of carbonated spring waters in regard to the lithological characteristics of Harghita county, Romania

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Abstract

The present study performs an extensive survey of the radioactive properties of carbonated spring waters from the post-volcanic area of Harghita county, Romania. Gross alpha activities ranged from 0.018 to 1.941 Bq/L, with  ~ 46% of the samples presenting values over the parametric value established by the Romanian law, while only  ~ 10.5% were above of that established by WHO Guidelines. Gross beta activities ranged between 0.04 and 1.245 Bq/L, with one value exceeding the guidance level of both regulations. 222Rn activities ranged between 0.6 and 399.6 Bq/L, while 226Ra activities were in the 21–694 mBq/L interval. 228Ra-specific activities ranged between 19 and 1151 mBq/L, and 238U-specific activities were found to be between 11 and 113 mBq/L. The concentrations for 210Po and 210Pb ranged from 11 to 90 mBq/L, respectively 12 and 87 mBq/L. The values were generally low, with only sporadic occurrences of higher activities. The annual effective doses presented generally low values, with 14 samples exceeding the recommended individual dose criterion (IDC) of 0.1 mSv/yr, XRF analyses of trace elements revealed a general presence of high Fe content, while Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg and Tl were under the detection limits. The specific activities obtained were above those reported in other regions of Romania. This may be explained by the presence of the Tulgheș litho-group (hosting several U mineralization) which, along with the presence of fractures, and absorption processes on iron hydroxide, may enhance the radionuclide content present within the investigated carbonated spring waters.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support from Harghita Mountains Intercommunity Development Association, Romania. The funding source had no involvement in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the report or in the decision to submit the article for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, “Babeş-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Codrin F. Savin & Robert-Cs. Begy

  2. Interdisciplinary Research Institute On Bio-Nano-Sciences, “Babeş-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Robert-Cs. Begy

  3. Department of Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Kogălniceanu 1, 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Ferenc L. Forray

  4. INCDO INOE2000 Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation (ICIA), Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Claudiu Tănăselia

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CFS—methodology, data curation, writing— original draft. FLF—data curation, formal analysis. CT—methodology, data curation. R-CB—conceptualization, methodology, validation, supervision, data curation.

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Correspondence to Robert-Cs. Begy.

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Savin, C.F., Forray, F.L., Tănăselia, C. et al. Radiological assessment of carbonated spring waters in regard to the lithological characteristics of Harghita county, Romania. Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 232, 1563–1581 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-023-00879-5

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