# Determination of low-level Radium isotope activities in fresh waters by gamma spectrometry

Arnold Molina Porras, Michel Condomines, Jean Luc Seidel

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Arnold Molina Porras, Michel Condomines, Jean Luc Seidel. Determination of low-level Radium isotope activities in fresh waters by gamma spectrometry. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 2017, 120, pp.119 - 125. 10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.12.010. hal-04747652

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# 1 Determination of low-level Radium isotope activities in fresh waters by gamma spectrometry

2 Arnold Molina Porras<sup>a,c,*</sup>, Michel Condomines<sup>b</sup>, Jean Luc Seidel<sup>a</sup>

3 a HydroSciences, Montpellier Univ., 34090 Montpellier, France (jean-luc.seidel@umontpellier.fr)

4 b Geosciences, Montpellier Univ., 34090 Montpellier, France (condomines@gm.univ-montp2.fr)

5 c University of Costa Rica, 11501-2060 San José, Costa Rica

6 * Corresponding author: arnold.molina-porras@etu.umontpellier.fr

# 8 Abstract

9 A new portable sampling system was developed to extract Radium isotopes from large volumes (up to 300 L) of fresh surface- and ground-waters of low Ra-activities (< 5 mBq/L). Ra is quantitatively adsorbed on a small amount (6.5 g) of MnO₂-coated acrylic fibers, which are then dried and burned at 600 °C in the laboratory. The resulting Mn-oxide powder (about 2 cm³ when compacted) is then analyzed through gamma-ray spectrometry which allows measurement of the whole Ra quartet (²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁴Ra and ²²³Ra) in a single counting of a few days. The usual relative standard combined uncertainties (1σ) are 2 % to 3 % for ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁴Ra; and less than 10 % for ²²³Ra. This method was applied to the analysis of Ra in karstic waters of the Lez aquifer, and surface- and ground-waters of the upper and middle Vidourle watershed (South of France). The analyzed waters have relatively low ²²⁶Ra activities (1 mBq/L to 4 mBq/L) in both cases, regardless of the contrasted geology (Mesozoic limestone vs crystalline Variscan basement), but clearly distinct (²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra) ratios in agreement with the differences in Th/U ratios of the two drained areas. Short-lived Ra isotopes (²²⁴Ra and ²²³Ra) appear to be mainly influenced by near-surface desorption/recoil processes for most of the sampling sites.

# 24 Keywords

25 Radium isotopes; Mn-fibers; fresh-waters; groundwaters; gamma spectrometry

# 27 1 Introduction

28 The use of Ra isotopes in water as tracers for hydrological, geochemical and biological processes has received widespread attention for many years. Each isotope gives useful information on the various processes that could be active in different environments, because of their contrasted half-lives and origins (²²⁶Ra, t₁/₂ = 1600 y, from the ²³⁸U decay-series; ²²³Ra, t₁/₂ = 11.4 d, from the ²³⁵U series; ²²⁸Ra, t₁/₂ = 5.75 y and ²²⁴Ra, t₁/₂ = 3.66 d, both from the ²³²Th decay-series).

33
34 One of the main current applications of Ra isotopes in the hydrosphere is for tracing submarine
35 groundwater discharge (SGD) in coastal systems (Charette et al., 2001; Gonneea et al., 2008; Hwang
36 et al., 2005; Rama and Moore, 1996; Rodellas et al., 2015; Young et al., 2008). However, fewer
37 studies concern their use in continental fresh surface- and ground-waters, in spite of their interest to
38 distinguish the sources of water masses and the processes and timescales of water-rock interactions
39 (e.g. Chabaux et al., 2003; Osmond & Coward, 2000; Porcelli and Swarzenski, 2003; Szabo et al.,
2012; Tomita et al., 2014). Contrary to thermal waters and brines with often high Ra isotope activities, fresh waters have generally much lower activities (typically a few millibecquerel per liter of $^{226}$Ra, $^{228}$Ra and $^{224}$Ra). This explains in part why very few studies have reported Ra isotope data on continental karstic waters (e. g. Guerrero et al., 2016). As $^{226}$Ra, $^{228}$Ra and $^{224}$Ra have similar activities, they are potentially all measurable through nuclear methods from the same volume of water (e.g. by alpha spectrometry, Eikenberg et al., 2001; Surbeck, 2000). For techniques measuring the number of atoms instead of the activity, such as MC- or SF-ICP-MS, only $^{226}$Ra, with the longest half-life, can be easily measured from relatively small volumes of water (< 2 L, Bourquin et al., 2011; Copia et al., 2015). Note that 1 mBq/L of $^{226}$Ra corresponds to 27.3 $10^{-15}$ g/L. $^{226}$Ra is also often analyzed through liquid scintillation (Rodríguez et al., 2016; Purkl and Eisenhauer, 2004), or $^{222}$Rn-emanometry (e. g. Perrier et al., 2016). However, the measurement of $^{223}$Ra, whose activity is around 20 times lower than that of $^{226}$Ra, requires sampling of much larger volumes of water, regardless of the analytical technique used for the quantification (e.g. RaDDeC, Moore and Arnold, 1996, or gamma-spectrometry, Condomines et al.; 2010; van Beek et al., 2010). The interest of gamma-spectrometry is that all four Ra isotopes can be measured in a single analysis, soon after sampling.

55

Since 1973, Radium concentration on MnO₂-coated fibers (Mn-fibers) has become one standard technique for measurement of waters with low Radium activity (Moore and Reid, 1973). Indeed, at moderate water flow (below 2 L/min), a few grams of these fibers are able to quantitatively extract Radium from several tens of liters of water, with no chemical reactive consumption. In coastal and marine systems, the most common method consists of collecting several liters (from tens to hundreds) of water in one or many containers, and then, let them flow, by gravity, through a cartridge filled with at least 20 g of Mn-fibers (Dulaiova & Burnett, 2004).

63

We present in this paper a new portable and optimized sampling system using only 6.5 g of Mn-fibers and adapted to extract, in the field, Ra from up to 300 L of water. After burning of the fibers, the activities of all the four Ra isotopes are then measured through gamma-spectrometry in a single analysis, with counting times from 2 to 7 days (Condomines et al., 2010; van Beek et al., 2010). Our method was applied to two different and geologically contrasted areas in the South of France: the Lez karstic system developed in Mesozoic limestones, and the Vidourle upper watershed, draining granitic and metamorphic rocks of the Variscan basement as well as Mesozoic dolomites and limestones.

72

## 2 Measurements and methods

74

### 2.1 *Sampling and sample preparation*

A compact and portable sampling system was built and optimized (Fig. 1). The sampling process is accomplished in two steps:

1) *Sample particle filtering and volume measurement:* between 100 L and 300 L of water are continuously pumped (A in Fig. 1) and filtered through 25 µm and 5 µm particle filters (B and C), to fill the 300 L (58 x 34 x 186, in cm) HDPE container (D), adapted with an external water level indicator (1.25 L resolution).
2) *Radium pre-concentration*: The water in the container is pumped (F) through the first acrylic-fiber filter cartridge (G) at ≤ 2 L/min, where most of the finest particles (< 5 µm) are retained, and then, through the Mn-fiber cartridge (H), where Ra is quantitatively extracted. Sampling in the field takes between four and five hours for a 300 L water sample. A water level automatic switch (E) has been installed to prevent the pump (F) to get dry.

All fibers and cartridges for the second step were provided by Scientific Computer Instrument®. The Mn-fiber cartridge is packed as follows (from bottom to top): half cartridge volume of distilled water, 1 g of acrylic fiber, 6.5 g of Mn-fiber, 2.5 g of acrylic fiber, between 10 and 20 plastic spheres (~5 mm diameter), and finally, distilled water until the column is filled. The Mn-fibers were previously rinsed and finely disheveled in distilled water, and then introduced directly into the cartridge, trying to eliminate the air bubbles with a plastic stick. A plastic grid was intercalated between each layer to make easier the extraction of the fiber after sampling. The upper acrylic fiber in the Mn-cartridge was used as an extra filter to minimize the finest particles (< 5 µm) adsorption on the Mn-fiber, whereas the lower acrylic fiber was used to avoid possible Mn-fiber floss loss. Both acrylic fibers were also used as a visual indicator of the efficiency of the particle filtration.

In order to optimize the Ra adsorption on the Mn-fiber column, the formation of air bubbles in the column must be avoided, since it can lead to incomplete wetting of the Mn-fibers; and the Mn-fiber must be finely disheveled to maximize the contact surface by separating the fiber floss. The first can be achieved by purging the pipelines all along the Ra pre-concentration step. To facilitate the purging process, taps were installed in the Mn-fiber cartridge (H) and in the water level switch chamber (E). The role of plastic spheres is to distribute the water flow over the whole section of the Mn-fiber column. They also serve as a visual indicator of the water flow, since they are less dense than water. The main reason of filtering the water before measuring the sample volume is to reduce the 300 L container contamination due to particle deposition on the walls, and to degas the water before the Ra pre-concentration step (especially for karstic water), in order to minimize the formation of bubbles in the Mn-fiber column.

Once Ra sampling is achieved, the Mn-fibers are taken out of the cartridge in the laboratory, and dried overnight between 60 °C and 80 °C in an oven. Then, they are put in a 250 mL porcelain crucible with its cover and reduced to ashes at 600 °C during 6 h in a programmable furnace. After the crucible was left cooling overnight in the furnace, the residual Mn-oxide ashes (MnO₂ is probably partly transformed to Mn₂O₃) are weighted. The ash-weight represents 11 % to 15 % of the original weight of the dry Mn-fibers. The Mn-oxide residue is then finely crushed and transferred to the corresponding gamma counting vessel, depending on the geometry used (see section 2.2).

One of the main advantages of the described portable sampling system resides in the fact that it is commonly easier to handle the relatively light 300 L empty plastic container (a few kilograms) than to transport several 20 L containers (15 for the same sampling volume), especially when the access to the sampling site is difficult. Moreover, the use of the pump (Fig. 1F) in the Ra extraction device allows a more rapid filtration compared to gravity-driven flow, and providing that the flow rate remains ≤ 2 L/min, in order to guarantee the quantitative Ra extraction (Kraemer, 2005; Henderson
et al., 2013). The water level switch (E) avoids the necessity of staying on site to stop the pumping and so, the operator can do other tasks (like sampling at another site) during the Ra extraction step. Furthermore, when time was lacking to complete the whole extraction procedure in the field and/or the access to the sampling site was short and easy, water was sampled in multiple 20 L containers. In that case, the water was pumped and filtered through the filters B and C (Fig. 1) to fill the series of containers. Back to the laboratory, sample is transferred to the container (D) in order to continue with the Ra pre-concentration step. Additionally, one way to improve this sampling system is to install a low-flow water-meter, which records directly the volume of water filtered (Bourquin et al., 2008); or by maintaining a known and constant flow, in order to quantify the volume sampled by measuring the extraction time (Du et al, 2013). The 300 L container could then be replaced by a smaller one that can be filled frequently without the necessity of stopping pumping to measure the sampled volume each time, or could even be eliminated.

137

To determine the Ra extraction efficiency, three water samples were filtered through a second Mn-fiber cartridge added in series after the first one. In all cases, the Ra activity on the second fiber was hardly measurable, and thus we estimate that the Ra extraction efficiency through the first 6.5 g Mn-fiber cartridge is close to 100%. This is in agreement with the results of Moore and Reid (1973), who reported a Ra extraction efficiency of 95 ± 5% for a 20 L sample of seawater with only 5 g of Mn-fiber. Most seawater studies use instead 20 g of Mn-fibers, but in our case, by finely disheveling the fibers before introduction in the cartridge and preventing the formation of bubbles, we could maximize the contact surface of the fibers and thus reduce significantly the quantity of Mn-fiber. In addition, the low mineralization of fresh water with respect to seawater reduces the saturation of the exchange sites on the Mn-fibers and increases the adsorption kinetics (Kraemer, 2005; Moon et al., 2003).

We have also tested the absence of significant biases between the in-situ compared to in-lab extraction procedure (see above) for two samples, LZSO-4 and FIRP-1. As can be seen in Table 2, the LZSO-4 duplicates (a and b) show no significant difference in Ra-isotope activities, whereas FIRP-1 duplicates show differences between samples a and b of 7% for ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁴Ra activities, and 10% for ²²³Ra activities, but no significant differences in their isotopic ratio. However these small differences do not exceed the 2σ uncertainties on the Ra activities.

155

## 2.2 Gamma Spectrometry

The principles of measurement of the four Ra isotopes are described in detail by Condomines et al. (2010). However the method had to be adapted for the following reasons: 1) The use of Mn-fibers to extract Ra instead of the Ra-Rad-disks™ previously used for Ra-rich thermal waters, and 2) Many of the measurements in this study were made in a Ge-well detector, in addition to the broad-energy Ge (BEGe™) detector, both manufactured by CANBERRA™.

162

The finely crushed Mn-oxide residues after ashing (weighting between 0.7 g and 0.9 g) were introduced and compacted either in a small polystyrene box (7 mm height, 30 mm internal diameter) for analysis with the BEGe™ detector, or in a polyethylene (PE) tube (58 mm height, and 15 mm internal diameter) for analysis in the Ge-well detector. In order to get a similar geometry for all
167

samples and standards, the height of the Mn-oxide powder was kept constant in the box (about 3 mm, then covered with a disk of 5 mm-thick PE foam) or in the tube (12 mm).

168

169

170 U and Th standards were prepared, for each geometry, from diluted aliquots of U and Th solutions with their decay nuclides in secular radioactive equilibrium (Condomines et al., 2010). About 2 mL of the dilute standard solution were transferred to the appropriate container and then, gradually, between 0.8 g and 0.9 g of “virgin” Mn-fiber ash were added, until reaching the same height as for the samples. The standards were then dried in an oven at 60 °C. U and Th contents of the dilute standard solutions were determined through alpha spectrometry by isotope dilution with a <sup>232</sup>U-<sup>228</sup>Th spike. The U-impregnated Mn-oxide standards contain 2186 µg of U (corresponding to an activity of 27.0 Bq for <sup>238</sup>U and its progeny) and 223 µg of U (2.75 Bq of <sup>238</sup>U) for the box and tube configuration respectively. The Th-impregnated Mn-oxide standards contain 6.095 µg of Th (corresponding to an activity of 24.8 Bq of <sup>232</sup>Th and its progeny) and 610 µg of Th (2.48 Bq of <sup>232</sup>Th) for the box and tube configuration respectively. The concentrated U and Th solutions in secular radioactive equilibrium were obtained through dissolution of natural pitchblende, and of an old Th-nitrate salt, prepared by PROLABO™ in 1958, respectively (Rihs and Condomines, 2002).

One of the advantages of using 6.5 g of Mn-fibers instead of 20 g is that the ashed residue has a smaller volume (~ 2 cm³) that can be placed in the bottom of the well in the Ge-well detector, thus maximizing the counting efficiency. For example, the absolute counting efficiency for the 186 keV peak of 226Ra is 69.2% instead of 49.6% if the sample fills the whole depth of the well.

Counting of the U and Th standards allowed the determination of the apparent efficiencies, resulting from cascade summing effects, that are needed to calculate the activities of interfering peaks, such as the triplet at around 270 keV used to calculate the <sup>223</sup>Ra activity (269.4 keV of <sup>223</sup>Ra, 271.2 keV of <sup>219</sup>Rn and 269.4 keV of <sup>228</sup>Ac). The detailed procedure and appropriate equations for samples analyzed on the BEGe detector are described by Condomines et al. (2010). For samples analyzed in the Ge-well detector, the <sup>228</sup>Ac contribution to the 270 keV triplet was simply calculated by using the ratio of the 269.4 keV to the 911 keV peaks of <sup>228</sup>Ac in the Th standard.

Potential problems could arise when gamma-rays of Ra isotopes or their short-lived daughters interfere with those from other radioactive nuclides, such as U, Th or Ac isotopes. Indeed, contrary to the Ra-Rad-disks which selectively retain Ra and no other radionuclide, the Mn-fibers could adsorb U, Th or Ac isotopes as well, if present in the waters (Moore, 1976; Young et al., 2008). The absence of significant U adsorption was checked by recounting the few samples showing the presence of a <sup>234</sup>Th peak at 63.2 keV after a few months: the quasi-absence of this peak in the new gamma-spectrum showed that <sup>234</sup>Th was not supported by <sup>238</sup>U. This validates the use of the 186 keV peak to calculate the <sup>226</sup>Ra activity, with no correction for the interfering <sup>235</sup>U peak at 185.7 keV.

Similar procedures were applied to check the absence of significant amounts of <sup>227</sup>Ac, <sup>227</sup>Th and <sup>228</sup>Th, which could be adsorbed during filtration, and affect calculation of the activities of the short-lived isotopes <sup>223</sup>Ra and <sup>224</sup>Ra. An example is given in Fig. 2, for a sample from the Vidourle stream,
displaying the evolution with time of the activity of ²¹²Pb, calculated from its 238.6 keV peak, for successive intervals of 4 hours. The ²¹²Pb activity averaged over the whole counting time is used in our study to calculate the ²²⁴Ra activity, according to equation 10 in Condomines et al. (2010). The evolution of the “instantaneous” ²¹²Pb activity shows that the experimental data are indeed fitted by a classical in-growth equation of ²¹²Pb from its parent ²²⁴Ra (equation 9 in the above reference), with (²²⁸Th)₀ = 0, but with an additional term, taking into account the presence in this sample of a significant ²¹²Pb activity adsorbed on the fibers during filtration, i.e.:

$$ (^{212}\text{Pb}) = (^{224}\text{Ra})_0 \cdot \frac{\lambda_{\text{Pb}}}{\lambda_{\text{Pb}} - \lambda_{\text{Ra}}} \cdot (e^{-\lambda_{\text{Ra}} \cdot t} - e^{-\lambda_{\text{Pb}} \cdot t}) + (^{212}\text{Pb})_0 \cdot e^{-\lambda_{\text{Pb}} \cdot t} \quad (1) $$

However, as counting usually begins at least 30 h after sampling and lasts several days, the two methods give the same results within analytical uncertainties (see details in the caption of Fig. 2).

Counting times usually varied between 2 and 7 days, depending on the detector used and the Ra isotope activities of the sample. Relative standard combined counting uncertainties (1σ), as reported in Table 2, are calculated from counting statistics on sample and standard, and uncertainties on standard activities, assuming a 100% Ra extraction efficiency. They are generally 2 % to 3 % for ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁴Ra, and below 10 % for ²²³Ra. More precise measurements could be achieved for ²²⁶Ra, if the more intense gamma rays of ²²²Rn-daughters, ²¹⁴Pb and ²¹⁴Bi, are used instead of the 186 keV peak of the ²²⁶Ra itself. This requires a second analysis after about 20 d, the time needed to reach ²²⁶Ra-²²²Rn radioactive equilibrium, in the absence of Rn loss. In a few cases, we verified that ²²²Rn does not actually escape from the crushed Mn-oxide fibers compacted in their containers.

## 2.3 Application to two hydro-systems with different lithologies

In order to test this methodology in different types of water and evaluate the potentials of Ra isotopes as tracers to determine the origin of different water masses and/or their dynamics, we chose two different hydrosystems:

1) The Vidourle watershed: The Vidourle stream flows through various lithologies. The upper course drains granitic and metamorphic rocks of the Variscan basement of the southeast side of the French Massif Central (Cévennes), and then, flows through a complex karstic network with sinkholes and resurgences, composed upstream by Lower and Middle Jurassic dolomites and limestones, and downstream by Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous limestones and marly-limestones, respectively.

2) The Lez karstic aquifer: Several springs are fed by main aquifers in the Upper Jurassic limestone and the Lower Cretaceous marly and marly-limestones. A very deep water inflow is also suggested for the Lez karstic spring (Bicalho et al., 2012).

Sampling sites described in Table 1 were chosen to best represent the various lithologies and/or hydrogeological context of each hydrosystem. For each site, a small volume of water was also sampled for major element analysis, using standard procedures including 0.2 µm filtration. Major cations and anions analysis was carried out with a Dionex™ ICS 1000 apparatus, with an uncertainty of 2.4 % for Ca²⁺, 3.0 % for Mg²⁺, 2.5 % for Na⁺, 7.4 % for K⁺, 2.6 % for Cl⁻ and 4.4 % for SO₄²⁻. pH (± 0.1 pH unit), electrical conductivity (± 1.5 %) and temperature (± 0.1 °C) were measured in the field with WTW 3210 series conductimeter and pH-meter. All uncertainties for major cations and anions and physicochemical parameters are expanded uncertainties with a coverage factor of 2.
251

252 **3 Results and discussion**

253 **3.1 <sup>226</sup>Ra activities**

254 The whole set of data do not exhibit a systematic difference between the <sup>226</sup>Ra activities in waters
255 draining the Variscan basement (upper course of the Vidourle) and those draining calcareous
256 Mesozoic series (Vidourle downstream and the Lez karstic system). Both types of water have <sup>226</sup>Ra
257 activities between 2 mBq/L and 5 mBq/L, as can be seen in Fig. 3a where these activities are reported
258 vs water electrical conductivity, a simple parameter for distinguishing granitic and calcareous waters.
259 This might appear surprising in view of the generally higher U and Ra contents in granitic rocks
260 compared to calcareous rocks. But the Ra content of the water depends on its capacity to mobilize
261 Ra from the rock-minerals. In a granitic rock, U is often concentrated in accessory minerals like
262 zircons, which are not easily dissolved, reducing the availability of mobile Ra. Moreover, the dilute
263 granitic waters have little capacity to desorb Ra from the mineral surfaces compared to more
264 mineralized waters, and any dissolved Ra will rather tend to be adsorbed on mineral surfaces.

265

266 However, if the two types of water (granitic vs calcareous dominated) and each hydrologic system
267 are considered separately, positive correlations between <sup>226</sup>Ra activities and conductivity are
268 suggested by the data reported in Fig. 3a. Such correlations have indeed been observed in various
269 cases, especially in highly concentrated waters (e. g. Sturchio et al., 2001; Tomita et al., 2014). Similar
270 correlations can be inferred for <sup>228</sup>Ra activities (Fig. 3b).

271

272 **3.2 (<sup>228</sup>Ra/<sup>226</sup>Ra) ratios**

273 The whole set of data shows a negative correlation between (<sup>228</sup>Ra/<sup>226</sup>Ra) ratios and conductivity (Fig. 3c). The highest ratios, above 1.2, are found in the waters of the Vidourle upper course draining the granitic/metamorphic basement, and the lower ratios (<1, and down to 0.5) in waters flowing through calcareous rocks in both the Vidourle and Lez areas. This is in agreement with the higher Th/U ratios of the granitic/metamorphic rocks (usually between 2 and 5) compared to calcareous rocks (Th/U usually less than 1). When translated in (<sup>228</sup>Ra/<sup>226</sup>Ra) ratios, assuming secular equilibrium in both <sup>238</sup>U and <sup>232</sup>Th decay-series, these two types of rocks should display a range of 0.66 to 1.65, and < 0.33, respectively.

281

282 The relation between (<sup>228</sup>Ra/<sup>226</sup>Ra) ratios and the nature of the watershed rocks is also evidenced in
283 Fig. 3d. Plotted vs Na/Ca ratios, (<sup>228</sup>Ra/<sup>226</sup>Ra) ratios decrease from granitic-metamorphic waters to
284 waters draining calcareous rocks. However, these isotopic ratios in the karstic waters are higher than
285 expected from the dissolution of a pure limestone. It is worth noting also that the (<sup>228</sup>Ra/<sup>226</sup>Ra) ratio
286 in the Sauve spring (0.91) is still higher than the ratios measured in the Lez karstic system, suggesting
287 that a significant part of the Sauve spring water corresponds to the resurgence of water from the
288 upper "granitic" Vidourle course, in agreement with previous studies (Drogue, 1964) and the same
289 process can be expected for the FIRP water, sampled at the resurgence of a Vidourle tributary. In the
290 case of the Lez aquifer, the (<sup>228</sup>Ra/<sup>226</sup>Ra) ratios, higher than expected for a pure limestone suggest
291 that <sup>228</sup>Ra and <sup>226</sup>Ra in water might in part originate from dissolution/leaching of impure carbonates
292 like marls or marly-limestones; and contrary to the general trend, the data for the Lez spring (Fig. 3d)
suggest a decrease of (²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra) ratios with increasing Na/Ca ratios. This is interpreted as the result of the influx, during brief episodes following heavy precipitation, of a deep Na-Cl rich component with high conductivity (≥850 µS/cm) as proposed by Bicalho et al. (2012), and with a lower (²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra) ratios. Situated less than one kilometer apart, the Restinclières spring does not appear to be influenced by this process and its lower (²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra) ratio (~ 0.53) is probably more representative of the Jurassic-lower Cretaceous aquifer.

299

## 3.3 Short-lived Ra isotopes

301
(²²⁴Ra/²²⁸Ra) ratios are close to the equilibrium value of 1 for most samples (Fig. 3e). This would suggest that both isotopes are released at the same time, with fast water transit times. Waters from the Restinclières spring (RESO) and Figaret resurgence (FIRP) have ratios significantly higher than 1 (~1.6 and 1.34 respectively). As both springs have relatively low output rates and circulate through marly limestone or dolomitic limestone of low hydraulic conductivity, it is likely that some ²²⁴Ra atoms have been added through alpha-recoil from adsorbed ²²⁸Th atoms (e.g. Porcelli and Swarzenski, 2003). The Sauve spring has a (²²⁴Ra/²²⁸Ra) ratio lower than 1, which might be due to a transit time of ~1 d in the karst between Ra acquisition and output at the surface, allowing for decay of ²²⁴Ra.

311
(²²³Ra/²²⁶Ra) ratios for most samples exceed the equilibrium value of 0.046 (corresponding to the (²³⁵U/²³⁸U) activity ratio), except for the Restinclières spring (Fig. 3f). These higher values are in general attributed to the presence of ²²⁷Ac and ²²⁷Th adsorbed on the water flow paths (Condomines et al., 2010). ²²³Ra excesses do not appear to be correlated with ²²⁴Ra excesses. For example, the Restinclières spring has a high (²²⁴Ra/²²⁸Ra) ratio of 1.6, but the lowest (²²³Ra/²²⁶Ra) ratio (0.045, the equilibrium value). This is not completely surprising however, as ²²⁴Ra and ²²³Ra might be acquired by the water at different places along the flow paths. As all the intermediate parents of ²²³Ra (²³¹Pa, ²²⁷Ac, ²²⁷Th) are insoluble, they are probably readily adsorbed at depth, whereas the insoluble ²²⁸Th, parent of ²²⁴Ra, is continuously produced by decay of the soluble ²²⁸Ra, and can be adsorbed up to the surface, providing a potential source of ²²⁴Ra close to the surface. This process could explain the Restinclières data, a relatively long transfer time of the water allowing decay of ²²³Ra, while ²²⁴Ra would be acquired near the surface. Further discussion of the behavior of short-lived Ra isotopes would need more data of their variations with time in a single spring, and their link with the hydrodynamics. Such a study is in progress for the Lez spring.

326

## 4 Conclusions

328
The portable sampling system developed in this work has proven to be practical for concentrating Ra from a few hundred of liters of low-Ra water (< 5 mBq/L of ²²⁶Ra) with good analytical results in terms of recovery, reproducibility and precision. The reduction of the weight of the Mn-fiber used to extract Ra (6.5 g instead of the usual 20 g in most previous studies) made possible their analysis, after ashing, in a Ge-well detector with large geometric efficiency.

333
While further studies are in progress on both the Lez and Vidourle hydrosystems (including major, trace elements and ²²²Rn), the present results demonstrate the validity of this method for Ra-isotope
335 measurements in continental groundwaters. The present results suggest that ($^{228}$Ra/$^{226}$Ra) ratios can
336 be valuable tracers of water masses, as are the ($^{87}$Sr/$^{86}$Sr) ratios. On the other hand, short-lived
337 isotopes, $^{224}$Ra and $^{223}$Ra appear more influenced by recoil or adsorption/desorption processes,
338 which might bear information on the water flow and transfer time in relation with the
339 hydrodynamics of a continuously monitored single spring.

340

341 Aknowledgements

342 This work was supported by the Institutional Program for Scholarships Abroad for University Officials
343 of the Office of International Affairs and External Cooperation (OAICE) of the University of Costa Rica
344 and the Institut français d'Amérique centrale (IFAC) of the Ministère français des affaires étrangères
345 et du développement international (MAEDI)(grant number 789478C).

346
347 References

348 Bicalho, C.C., Batiot-Guilhe, C., Seidel, J.L., Van-Exter, S. and Jourde, H., 2012. Geochemical evidence
349 of water source characterisation and hydrodynamic responses in a karst aquifer. J. Hydrol. 450-451,
350 206-218.

351 Bourquin, M., van Beek, P., Reyss, J.-L., Souhaut, M., Charette, M.A., Jeandel, C., 2008. Comparison of
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438
<table><tr><td>439</td></tr><tr><td>440</td></tr><tr><td>441</td><td><b>Table captions</b></td></tr><tr><td>442</td></tr><tr><td>443</td><td>Table 1. Sampling site description</td></tr><tr><td>444</td></tr><tr><td>445</td><td>Table 2. Radium quartet activities and activity ratios in water samples from sites described in Table 1</td></tr><tr><td>446</td></tr><tr><td>447</td><td>Table 3: Physico-chemical parameters and major ion compositions of the studied water samples</td></tr></table>
448

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Figure captions

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Fig. 1. Radium sampling system. The green line corresponds to the first stage of particle filtration and filling of the container. The orange line indicates the Ra pre-concentration device.

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Fig. 2. Evolution with time of the “instantaneous” $^{212}$Pb activity (calculated for successive intervals of 4 h) in a sample from the Vidourle watershed. The data are fitted by the $^{212}$Pb in-growth equation (1).

Both ($^{224}$Ra)$_{0}$ (2.97 mBq/L) and ($^{212}$Pb)$_{0}$ (1.2 mBq/L) at the time of sampling can be deduced from this curve (blue curve in the diagram). The evolution of the ($^{224}$Ra) activity is also reported for reference (green curve). If the calculation of ($^{224}$Ra)$_{0}$ is based on the accumulated gamma spectrum, and on the ($^{212}$Pb) activity averaged over the time of counting ($t_{2}$-$t_{1}$), assuming ($^{212}$Pb)$_{0}$ = 0, this will give a slightly different result for ($^{224}$Ra)$_{0}$ (3.03 mBq/L instead of 2.97 mBq/L). This can be visualized on the graph by

the small difference in the respective areas below the blue and the red curve (corresponding to ($^{212}$Pb)$_{0}$=0) between $t_{1}$ and $t_{2}$. However, as counting usually starts at least 30 h after sampling and lasts a few days, the difference in calculated values of ($^{224}$Ra)$_{0}$ are well within analytical uncertainties.

If counting begins more than 50 h after sampling, almost all the $^{212}$Pb atoms will have decayed, and both methods (based on instantaneous vs averaged $^{212}$Pb activity) will give exactly the same result for ($^{224}$Ra)$_{0}$.

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Fig. 3. $^{226}$Ra and $^{228}$Ra activity variations with electrical conductivity (a and b), ($^{228}$Ra/$^{226}$Ra) variations with electrical conductivity (c) and Na/Ca molar ratio (d), and ($^{224}$Ra/$^{228}$Ra) and ($^{223}$Ra/$^{226}$Ra) with electrical conductivity (e and f). Error bars (1σ) in both axes are generally smaller than the symbol size. Squares correspond to Vidourle watershed and the circles to the Lez aquifer sites.
<figure><img src="image_2.png" /><figcaption>Figure 1</figcaption></figure>
<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>Figure 2</figcaption></figure>
<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Figure 3</figcaption></figure>
<table><caption>Table 1</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">System</th><th rowspan="2">Sampling Site</th><th rowspan="2">Site ID</th><th colspan="2">UTM coordinates (Zone 31T)</th><th rowspan="2">Hydrological context</th><th rowspan="2">Geological context</th></tr><tr><th>X (m)</th><th>Y (m)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2">Lez aquifer</td><td>Restinclières</td><td>RESO</td><td>568440</td><td>4840676</td><td>Spring</td><td>Marly-limestones (Cretaceous)</td></tr><tr><td>Lez</td><td>LZSO</td><td>568001</td><td>4840908</td><td>Spring</td><td>Limestones (Upper Jurassic) & marly-limestones (Cretaceous)</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="4">Vidourle watershed</td><td>L'Esclafar</td><td>VIHA</td><td>564054</td><td>4874597</td><td>Stream water</td><td>Cévennes granites (Carboniferous)</td></tr><tr><td>Figaret-La Borie</td><td>FILB</td><td>568209</td><td>4872143</td><td>Stream water</td><td>Cévennes granites (Carboniferous) and schists (Cambro-Ordovician)</td></tr><tr><td>Figaret-Résurgence</td><td>FIRP</td><td>568185</td><td>4869702</td><td>Outlet</td><td>Limestones and dolomites (Middle Jurassic)</td></tr><tr><td>Sauve</td><td>SASO</td><td>576204</td><td>4865746</td><td>Spring</td><td>Limestones (Upper Jurassic) & dolomites (Middle Jurassic)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>Table 2</caption><thead><tr><th>Sample</th><th>Sampling Date</th><th><sup>226</sup>Ra<br>[mBq/L]</th><th><sup>228</sup>Ra<br>[mBq/L]</th><th><sup>224</sup>Ra<br>[mBq/L]</th><th><sup>223</sup>Ra<br>[mBq/L]</th><th>(<sup>228</sup>Ra/<sup>226</sup>Ra)</th><th>(<sup>224</sup>Ra/<sup>228</sup>Ra)</th><th>(<sup>223</sup>Ra/<sup>226</sup>Ra)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>RESO-1</td><td>17/03/2015</td><td>3.4 ± 0.1</td><td>1.84 ± 0.05</td><td>2.90 ± 0.06</td><td>0.15 ± 0.02</td><td>0.54 ± 0.02</td><td>1.57 ± 0.05</td><td>0.042 ± 0.005</td></tr><tr><td>RESO-2</td><td>18/11/2015</td><td>2.75 ± 0.05</td><td>1.42 ± 0.03</td><td>2.34 ± 0.05</td><td>0.13 ± 0.01</td><td>0.52 ± 0.01</td><td>1.65 ± 0.05</td><td>0.048 ± 0.003</td></tr><tr><td>LZSO-1</td><td>02/04/2015</td><td>2.22 ± 0.07</td><td>1.59 ± 0.04</td><td>1.55 ± 0.05</td><td>0.18 ± 0.03</td><td>0.72 ± 0.03</td><td>0.98 ± 0.04</td><td>0.08 ± 0.01</td></tr><tr><td>LZSO-2</td><td>24/08/2015</td><td>2.38 ± 0.05</td><td>1.62 ± 0.03</td><td>1.68 ± 0.04</td><td>0.14 ± 0.01</td><td>0.68 ± 0.02</td><td>1.03 ± 0.03</td><td>0.059 ± 0.004</td></tr><tr><td>LZSO-3</td><td>18/09/2015</td><td>3.10 ± 0.07</td><td>1.87 ± 0.04</td><td>1.80 ± 0.04</td><td>0.22 ± 0.01</td><td>0.60 ± 0.02</td><td>0.96 ± 0.03</td><td>0.071 ± 0.004</td></tr><tr><td>LZSO-4a</td><td>03/02/2016</td><td>2.30 ± 0.05</td><td>1.57 ± 0.03</td><td>1.46 ± 0.03</td><td>0.17 ± 0.01</td><td>0.69 ± 0.02</td><td>0.93 ± 0.03</td><td>0.075 ± 0.005</td></tr><tr><td>LZSO-4b</td><td>03/02/2016</td><td>2.27 ± 0.06</td><td>1.55 ± 0.03</td><td>1.44 ± 0.03</td><td>0.17 ± 0.01</td><td>0.68 ± 0.02</td><td>0.93 ± 0.03</td><td>0.074 ± 0.007</td></tr><tr><td>VIHA-1</td><td>18/05/2015</td><td>3.10 ± 0.07</td><td>3.83 ± 0.07</td><td>4.1 ± 0.1</td><td>0.28 ± 0.02</td><td>1.23 ± 0.04</td><td>1.06 ± 0.03</td><td>0.090 ± 0.005</td></tr><tr><td>FILB-1</td><td>10/02/2016</td><td>4.9 ± 0.1</td><td>6.9 ± 0.1</td><td>7.2 ± 0.1</td><td>0.24 ± 0.02</td><td>1.41 ± 0.04</td><td>1.05 ± 0.03</td><td>0.050 ± 0.004</td></tr><tr><td>FIRP-1a</td><td>16/12/2015</td><td>4.2 ± 0.1</td><td>4.04 ± 0.07</td><td>5.4 ± 0.1</td><td>0.29 ± 0.02</td><td>0.96 ± 0.03</td><td>1.34 ± 0.04</td><td>0.070 ± 0.005</td></tr><tr><td>FIRP-1b</td><td>16/12/2015</td><td>4.5 ± 0.1</td><td>4.32 ± 0.08</td><td>5.8 ± 0.1</td><td>0.32 ± 0.02</td><td>0.96 ± 0.03</td><td>1.34 ± 0.04</td><td>0.072 ± 0.005</td></tr><tr><td>SASO-1</td><td>09/12/2015</td><td>1.89 ± 0.04</td><td>1.72 ± 0.03</td><td>1.40 ± 0.03</td><td>0.11 ± 0.01</td><td>0.91 ± 0.03</td><td>0.81 ± 0.02</td><td>0.061 ± 0.005</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>Table 3</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Sample</th><th rowspan="2">pH</th><th>Conductivity</th><th>Temp.</th><th>HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup></th><th>Cl<sup>-</sup></th><th>NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup></th><th>SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2-</sup></th><th>Ca<sup>2+</sup></th><th>Mg<sup>2+</sup></th><th>Na<sup>+</sup></th><th>K<sup>+</sup></th></tr><tr><th>µS/cm</th><th>°C</th><th>mmol/L</th><th>mmol/L</th><th>mmol/L</th><th>mmol/L</th><th>mmol/L</th><th>mmol/L</th><th>mmol/L</th><th>mmol/L</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>RESO-1</td><td>7.0</td><td>707</td><td>18.4</td><td>6.5</td><td>0.58</td><td>0.095</td><td>0.25</td><td>3.3</td><td>0.42</td><td>0.51</td><td>0.020</td></tr><tr><td>RESO-2</td><td>6.9</td><td>680</td><td>17.5</td><td>6.7</td><td>0.39</td><td>0.096</td><td>0.19</td><td>3.1</td><td>0.33</td><td>0.38</td><td>0.025</td></tr><tr><td>LZSO-1</td><td>7.1</td><td>722</td><td>15.7</td><td>6.1</td><td>1.1</td><td>0.066</td><td>0.29</td><td>3.2</td><td>0.38</td><td>1.1</td><td>0.048</td></tr><tr><td>LZSO-2</td><td>7.1</td><td>728</td><td>16.6</td><td>6.2</td><td>1.1</td><td>0.087</td><td>0.24</td><td>2.9</td><td>0.37</td><td>1.1</td><td>0.036</td></tr><tr><td>LZSO-3</td><td>7.1</td><td>852</td><td>16.8</td><td>6.1</td><td>2.0</td><td>0.077</td><td>0.35</td><td>2.9</td><td>0.47</td><td>1.9</td><td>0.058</td></tr><tr><td>LZSO-4</td><td>7.1</td><td>759</td><td>16.0</td><td>6.5</td><td>1.1</td><td>0.057</td><td>0.28</td><td>3.0</td><td>0.39</td><td>1.1</td><td>0.037</td></tr><tr><td>VIHA-1</td><td>7.3</td><td>78</td><td>14.9</td><td>0.6</td><td>0.11</td><td>&lt; DL</td><td>0.048</td><td>0.17</td><td>0.11</td><td>0.18</td><td>0.014</td></tr><tr><td>FILB-1</td><td>7.9</td><td>235</td><td>8.2</td><td>1.5</td><td>0.19</td><td>0.072</td><td>0.31</td><td>0.61</td><td>0.36</td><td>0.34</td><td>0.032</td></tr><tr><td>FIRP-1a</td><td>7.0</td><td>774</td><td>13.2</td><td>8.0</td><td>0.23</td><td>&lt; DL</td><td>0.33</td><td>2.4</td><td>1.8</td><td>0.20</td><td>0.016</td></tr><tr><td>SASO-1a</td><td>7.5</td><td>456</td><td>13.3</td><td>4.1</td><td>0.20</td><td>0.048</td><td>0.29</td><td>1.7</td><td>0.60</td><td>0.24</td><td>0.030</td></tr><tr><td>SASO-1b</td><td>7.5</td><td>456</td><td>13.3</td><td>4.1</td><td>0.20</td><td>0.046</td><td>0.29</td><td>1.7</td><td>0.60</td><td>0.24</td><td>0.030</td></tr></tbody></table>