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Zoltan Szabo

Publications and source records attributed to Zoltan Szabo.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
USGS2001

Occurrence of selected radionuclides in ground water used for drinking water in the United States: A reconnaissance survey, 1998

The U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Water Works Association, and the American Water Works Service Company, completed a targeted national reconnaissance survey of selected radionuclides in public ground-water supplies. Radionuclides analyzed included radium-224 (Ra-224), radium-226 (Ra-226), radium-228 (Ra-228), polonium-210 (Po-210) and lead-210 (Pb-210).This U.S. Geological Survey reconnaissance survey focused intentionally on areas with known or suspected elevated concentrations of radium in ground water to determine if Ra-224 was also present in the areas where other isotopes of radium had previously been detected and to determine the co-occurrence characteristics of the three radium isotopes (Ra-224, Ra-226, and Ra-228) in those areas. Ninety-nine raw-water samples (before water treatment) were collected once over a 6-month period in 1998 and 1999 from wells (94 of which are used for public drinking water) in 27 States and 8 physiographic provinces. Twenty-one of the 99 samples exceeded the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water maximum contaminant level of 5 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) for combined radium (Ra-226 + Ra-228). Concentrations of Ra-224 were reported to exceed 1 pCi/L in 30 percent of the samples collected, with a maximum concentration of 73.6 pCi/L measured in water from a nontransient, noncommunity, public-supply well in Maryland. Radium-224 concentrations generally were higher than those of the other isotopes of radium. About 5 percent of the samples contained concentrations of Ra-224 greater than 10 pCi/L, whereas only 2 percent exceeded 10 pCi/L for either Ra-226 or Ra-228. Concentrations of Ra-226 greater than 1 pCi/L were reported in 33 percent of the samples, with a maximum concentration of 16.9 pCi/L measured in water from a public-supply well in Iowa. Concentrations of Ra-228 greater than 1 pCi/L were reported in 22 samples, with a maximum concentration of 72.3 pCi/L measured in water from a non-transient, noncommunity, public-supply well in Maryland.Radium-224, which is a decay product of Ra-228 in the Th-232 decay series, was significantly correlated with Ra-228 (Spearman?s rank correlation coefficient ?r? equals 0.82) and to a lesser degree with Ra-226 (r equals 0.69), which is an isotope in the U-238 decay series. The rank correlation coefficient between Ra-226 and Ra-228 was 0.63. The high correlation between Ra-224 and Ra-228 concentrations and the corresponding isotopic ratios of the two (about 1:1 in 90 percent of the samples) indicates that the two radionuclides occur in approximately equal concentrations in most ground water sampled. Thus, Ra-228 can be considered as a reasonable proxy indicator for the occurrence of Ra-224 in ground water.The maximum concentration of Po-210 was 4.85 pCi/L and exceeded 1 pCi/L in only two samples. The maximum concentration of Pb-210 was 4.14 pCi/L, and about 10 percent of the samples exceeded 1 pCi/L. Areas with known, or suspected, elevated concentrations of polonium and lead were not targeted in this survey.Three major implications are drawn for future radionuclide monitoring on the basis of this information: (1) grossalpha particle analyses of ground water should be done within about 48-72 hours after collection to determine the presence of the short-lived, alpha-particle emitting isotopes, such as Ra-224, which was detected in elevated concentrations in many of the samples collected for this survey; (2) the isotope ratios of Ra-224 to Ra-228 in ground water are variable on a national scale, but the two radioisotopes generally occur in ratios near 1:1, therefore, the more commonly measured Ra-228 can be used as an indicator of Ra-224 occurrence for some general purposes other than compliance; and (3) the isotopic ratios of Ra-226 to Ra-228 were less than 3:2 in many samples. These ratios corroborate results of previous studies that have shown the presence of Ra-228.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1998

Radium-226 and radium-228 in shallow ground water, southern New Jersey

Concentrations of total radium (the sum of radium-226 and radium-228) and gross alpha-particle activities in drinking water that exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) are known to cause cancer. Results of investigations by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) indicate that concentrations of total radium in water samples from 33 percent of 170 wells in the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system in southern New Jersey exceeded the MCL of 5 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) (fig. 1). Wells containing water in which concentrations of total radium were greater than the MCL typically are found where the Bridgeton Formation crops out, in or near an agricultural area, where ground water is acidic (pH less than 5), and where nitrate concentrations generally exceed 5 mg/L (milligrams per liter). Leaching of nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium from agricultural chemicals (fertilizer, lime) applied to cropland may increase the mobility of radium in ground water. Gross alphaparticle activities exceeded the USEPA MCL of 15 pCi/L in water from 14 percent of 127 wells. A statistically significant 2:1 ratio between gross alpha-particle activity and concentration of total radium indicates that gross alpha-particle activity can be used as a screening tool to predict the presence of water that may have a high total-radium concentration.

New Jersey↗
USGS1997

Variations in pore-water quality, mineralogy, and sedimentary texture of clay-silts in the lower Miocene Kirkwood Formation, Atlantic City, New Jersey

Properties of and pore-water solute chemistry in confining units in the New Jersey Coastal Plain were studied to determine whether leakage of solute-enriched pore water from confining units affects regional aquifer-water chemistry, which ultimately may result in aquifer waters with high sodium and bicarbonate concentrations. Pore-water samples collected from a continuously cored borehole in the lower Miocene Kirkwood Formation at Atlantic City, NJ, were analyzed: 15 samples were obtained from clay-silt confining-unit sediments, and four samples were from silt interbeds in the sand of the major confined aquifer in the region, the Atlantic City 800-ft sand. The samples were analyzed to assess interrelations among mineralogy, texture, fluidretention properties, sediment chemistry, and pore-water chemistry, and to document the scale of variation in these properties. Linear regressions were developed to describe the relations of constituents dissolved in 14 pore-water samples collected from the lower confining unit overlying the Atlantic City 800-ft sand and from the silt interbeds in the upper sand unit of the Atlantic City 800-ft sand. The regressions were for concentrations of magnesium and calcium (m = 0.27, R2 = 0.99); concentrations of sodium and the sum of calcium and magnesium (m = 0.17, R 2 = 0.92); concentrations of sulfate and the sum of calcium and magnesium (m = 1.14, R 2 = 0.99); and concentrations of sodium and sulfate (m = 0.14, R 2 = 0.89). The percentage of fine sand was greatest in the shallowest sampled interval, where pore-water concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and sulfate were greatest. The pore-water samples were of three distinct water-quality types (hydrogeochemical facies): a calcium-sulfate type, a mixed calcium-sodium-sulfate-chloride-bicarbonate type, and a sodium-sulfate-bicarbonate-chloride type. The first two types were found only in the lower confining unit; the third type was found only in the composite confining unit underlying the Atlantic City 800-ft sand. Each of these hydrogeochemical facies generally is found within distinct intervals over a range of tens of feet in the core. Krige estimates of pore-water–constituent variations with depth were made by using only the analytical results for the 14 samples from the lower confining unit overlying the Atlantic City 800-ft sand and the silt interbeds in the upper sand unit of the Atlantic City 800-ft sand. Geostatistical analysis of the pore-water–quality data generally resulted in two types of semivariograms. One semivariogram type best fits concentration trends with depth for calcium, magnesium, strontium, sodium, sulfate, and specific conductance; lithium and chloride may also fit this semivariogram type. The other semivariogram type best fits concentration trends with depth for silica, cation exchange capacity, and dissolved inorganic carbon. The scale of variation of the concentrations and properties is indicated by the maximum lag autocorrelation distance of the theoretical semivariograms (the range) and ranged from 44 to 110 ft (13.4–33.5 m). The scale of variation of pore-water major-ion concentrations of sulfate, chloride, calcium, and magnesium alone is on the order of 65–70 ft (19.8–21.3 m). The semivariograms for all pore-water constituents except silica have significant variance at the smallest lag distance, indicating that the constituent concentration varied over a larger scale than the sampling interval. The dominant exchangeable cation in the sediment is calcium. Cation exchange reactions do not appear to be the dominant process in the sediments of the lower confining unit above the Atlantic City 800-ft sand, because a linear correlation exists between the concentration of sodium and the sum of calcium and magnesium concentrations in the pore water; concentrations of all these constituents increase in the upward flow direction, and the ratio of sodium to chloride in the pore water is about 1.0. Two significant principal components explained 82.5% of the total variation in pore-water solute chemistry. Principal component 1 represents about 53% of the variation in pore-water quality and includes calcium, magnesium, sulfate, strontium, and lithium. Coupled chemical processes in the confining units, such as incongruent dissolution of carbonate and other mineral phases or redox transformations of sulfur, likely explain the covariance of these constituents. Principal component 2 represents about 30% of the variation and includes sodium, dissolved inorganic carbon, and chloride. Covariance of sodium and chloride probably is caused by the presence of residual seawater.

New Jersey↗
USGS1997

Sr-isotopic evidence for leakage of pore water from clay-silt confining units to the Atlantic City 800-foot sand, Atlantic City, New Jersey

The evolution of water quality in confined aquifers in the New Jersey Coastal Plain may be affected by leakage of pore water from the adjacent confining units. We investigated the distribution and sources of solutes, particularly Sr, in pore water mechanically extracted from clay-silt core samples collected from depths of 552–840 ft (168–256 m) in the lower Miocene Kirkwood Formation at Atlantic City, New Jersey (Ocean Drilling Program Leg 150X). The sampled sediments consist of thin clay-silt stringers in the upper part of the Atlantic City 800-ft sand, a major aquifer, and the massive clay-silt units above and below it. The distribution of Sr and the ratio of 87 Sr to 86 Sr in the pore water and adjacent shell material were used to identify the possible sources of, and physical processes that may affect the distribution of, Sr in the pore water. Concentrations of Sr in 14 pore-water samples from the clay-silt unit above the aquifer and the clay-silt interbeds in the upper part of the aquifer ranged from 2.74 to 28.19 µM/L; those in the four pore-water samples from the clay-silt unit below the aquifer ranged from 0.52 to 7.30 µM/L. Concentrations of Sr in the samples varied with depth but correlated strongly with pore-water concentrations of Ca, Mg, Na, and SO4. Cation-exchange processes may be responsible, in part, for the lower concentrations of Sr, Ca, and Mg in pore water from the clay-silt unit below the aquifer than in that above the aquifer. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values in 11 samples of aragonitic mollusk shells (bearing no visible evidence of recrystallization) collected from depths in the clay-silt unit similar to those from which the pore-water samples were collected ranged from 0.708468 to 0.708713 , and decreased (Sr in the shells was less radiogenic) with depth. This trend is consistent with the decrease in the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr value in seawater through time during the early Miocene. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values in 12 pore-water samples from the studied stratigraphic interval ranged from 0.708257 to 0.708527 and also decreased with depth. The Sr-isotope ratios in the pore water were lower than those in the shell material from nearby or adjacent sediments for all samples but one. Because the only known source of Sr with an isotope ratio this low is shell material from sediments deeper than the strata from which the pore-water samples were collected (including pre-Miocene stratigraphic units), the isotope ratio in the pore-water samples from the lower Miocene claysilt units may result from upward movement of pore water into lower Miocene strata through geologic time, which could create the observed difference in Sr isotope ratios between the pore water and shells.

New Jersey↗
USGS1997

Relation of hydrogeologic characteristics to distribution of radioactivity in ground water, Newark Basin, New Jersey

The distribution of radioactivity in ground water in the Newark Basin is controlled by the lithology of the aquifer and the degree of contact between the water that flows through the fractured strata and the radioactive lithologic units. The primary water-bearing lithologic units of the Newark Basin that contain elevated levels of radioactivity are the arkosic sandstones of the Stockton Formation and the black mudstones of the lower part of the Passaic Formation. Lithologic and hydrogeologic characteristics of these rock aquifers that affect the spatial distribution of radionuclides in the water include the concentration of radioactive minerals in the strata; the continuity of radioactive strata; the orientation, depth, interconnectedness, and continuity of regional and local fracture patterns; and the geochemical environment, which affects radionuclide solubility. The stratigraphic zones of uranium enrichment and the continuity of the radioactive strata differ between the Stockton Formation and the lower part of the Passaic Formation. Uranium enrichment in both formations, however, is identified in permeable sections of strata that have sharp contacts with, or that are enclosed by, less permeable zones. In the Stockton Formation, basal conglomerates overlying fine-grained mudstones are the most radioactive lithology. In interbedded red and black mudstones of the lower part of the Passaic Formation, the uranium-rich zones are the black and white carbonate-rich siltstone and mudstone laminae overlying massive fine-grained mudstones. Most samples of the arkosic sandstones of the Stockton Formation tended to be slightly enriched in uranium relative to thorium, whereas all samples of the black mudstones of the lower part of the Passaic Formation were heavily enriched in uranium with respect to thorium, with a maximum concentration of uranium of 6,200 parts per million (ppm). Spatial orientation of radioactive zones is controlled by the depositional environment of the host lithology. Radioactive strata in the arkosic sandstones of the Stockton Formation, which is deltaic or fluvial/deltaic in origin, arc stratigraphically discontinuous and nonplanar. In contrast, the radioactive lacustrine black mudstones of the lower part of the Passaic Formation are laterally continuous and planar. Geophysical logs of boreholes indicate that the number and depths of probable waterbearing fractures are greater in the arkoses of the Stockton Formation and red mudstones of the lower part of the Passaic Formation than in the interbedded red and black mudstones of the lower part of the Passaic Formation, despite the fact that fracture-density counts in cores indicate that black mudstones are more highly fractured than the other rock types. The total number of fractures is greater and bedding-plane fractures are generally more common in the lower part of the Passaic Formation than in the Stockton Formation. Fractures in the Stockton Formation form a well-connected network consisting of both bedding-plane and several sets of high-angle fractures present on a regional scale. The large-scale continuity of interconnected bedding-plane fractures and high-angle regional fractures may be partly responsible for the higher yields observed for wells in the Stockton Formation than for wells in the Passaic Formation and may facilitate migration of dissolved radionuclides far from their source. The well-connected fracture network may increase the likelihood that circulating water comes in contact with radioactive strata. Water in the black mudstones of the lower part of the Passaic Formation may also contain high levels of radioactivity, primarily as a result of the high frequency of radioactive strata and of fracturing, rather than the presence of a well-connected regional fracture system. Ground-water chemistry is dominated by the calcium cation and the bicarbonate anion, both derived from abundant secondary calcite in the fractures. The concentrations of uranium and radium in water that comes into contact with radioactive rock are controlled by the water chemistry. Uranium is the dominant alpha emitter in the oxidizing waters in the red mudstones of the Passaic Formation, whereas radium-226 (226Ra) is the dominant alpha emitter in the suboxic (reducing) water in the black mudstones of the lower part of the Passaic Formation. Because the lithology of the Stockton Formation and, in places, the lower part of the Passaic Formation varies greatly, wells can intercept multiple fracture zones that can contain oxic or suboxic waters, thereby resulting in the presence of both uranium and radium in detectable quantities in the same water sample.

New Jersey↗
USGS1996

Age dating of shallow groundwater with chlorofluorocarbons, tritium/helium: 3, and flow path analysis, southern New Jersey coastal plain

Groundwater age dating through the combination of transient tracer methods (chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and tritium/helium 3 ( 3 H/ 3 He)) and groundwater flow path analysis is useful for investigating groundwater travel times, flow patterns, and recharge rates, as demonstrated by this study of the homogeneous shallow, unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system in the southern New Jersey coastal plain. Water samples for age dating were collected from three sets of nested observation wells (10 wells) with 1.5-m-long screens located near groundwater divides. Three steady state finite difference groundwater flow models were calibrated by adjusting horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities to match measured heads and head differences (range, 0.002–0.23 m) among the nested wells, with a uniform recharge rate of 0.46 m per year and porosities of 0.35 (sand) and 0.45 (silt) that were assumed constant for all model simulations and travel time calculations. The simulated groundwater travel times increase with depth in the aquifer, ranging from about 1.5 to 6.5 years for the shallow wells (screen bottoms 3–4 m below the water table), from about 10 to 25 years for the medium-depth wells (screen bottoms 8–19 m below the water table), and from about 30 to more than 40 years for the deep wells (screen bottoms 24–26 m below the water table). Apparent groundwater ages based on CFC- and 3 H/ 3 He-dating techniques and model-based travel times could not be statistically differentiated, and all were strongly correlated with depth. Confinement of 3He was high because of the rapid vertical flow velocity (of the order of 1 m/yr), resulting in clear delineation of groundwater travel times based on the 3 H/ 3 He-dating technique. The correspondence between the 3 H/ 3 He and CFC ages indicates that dispersion has had a minimal effect on the tracer-based ages of water in this aquifer. Differences between the tracer-based apparent ages for seven of the 10 samples were smaller than the error values. A slight bias toward older apparent ages, found not to be statistically significant, was noted for the 3 H/ 3 He-dating technique relative to the CFC-dating technique. This result may be caused by enrichment of local air in CFC-Il and CFC-12 from urban and industrial sources in the northeastern United States and minor contamination from sampling equipment. The demonstrated validity of the combined tracer-dating techniques to determine the age of water in the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system indicates that groundwater flow models can be refined when apparent ages based on 3 H/ 3 He- and CFC- dating are used as calibration targets.

New Jersey↗
USGS1996

Use of an ultra-clean sampling technique with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to determine trace-element concentrations in water from the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer system, coastal plain, New Jersey

Water samples were collected during 1993 from 22 public supply wells screened in the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system; concentrations of 18 trace elements were determined primarily by using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques, though graphite furnace atomic adsorption, hydride generation, and cold- vapor flameless atomic adsorption techniques were used for thallium, arsenic, and mercury, respectively, at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL). In addition, laboratory measurements of alkalinity and turbidity were made. The ground-water samples were collected by using ultra-clean sampling protocols developed by the USGS for collecting ground-water samples in areas with water containing low concentrations of trace elements. This technique is based on recently gained experience in sampling surface water for these elements. Field parameters (water temperature, specific conductance, pH, and dissolved-oxygen concentration) were monitored prior to sample collection. Three equipment blanks were collected to ensure that low-level trace-element contamination did not occur during sample collection. One split sample and a commercially- prepared reference standard were submitted to the NWQL o evaluate laboratory precision and accuracy, respectively. Trace-element concentrations in 10 sample splits and one equipment blank were also determined at the Rutgers University Chemistry Department laboratory. Results of the ICP-MS analyses and cold vapor flameless atomic absorption indicated that five trace elements-- cobalt, copper, lead, mercury, and nickel--were detectable in low concentrations (<0.1-29 mg/L) in most of the samples from the 22 wells, and four elements--aluminum, barium, manganese and zinc--were detected in higher concentrations than the other elements (30-710 mg/L for aluminum; 4-180 mg/L for barium, manganese, and zinc). The remaining nine trace elements were present in concentrations consistently lower than the minimum reporting limit. Turbidity was low (less than 1 nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU)), indicating that the trace-element concentrations were present in the dissolved phase and ideally would be reproducible in the absence of highly variable concentrations of particulates. The concentration of lead in one sample exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) action level of 15 mg/L; concentrations ranged from <1 to 16 mg/L. Mercury was frequently detected; concentrations ranged from <0.1 to 1.1 mg/L but did not exceed the USEPA maximum contaminant level. Results of analyses of the equipment blanks indicated that samples collected by using the new ultra-clean sampling protocols were free of low-level (< 1mg/L) trace-element contamination. The analysis of the split sample sent to the NWQL had a difference of 5 percent or less for all constituents except aluminum, for which the analysis had a difference of 10 percent. Results of ICP-MS analyses of split water samples sent to the Rutgers University Chemistry Department laboratory were, in general, in good agreement (within 10 percent) with those of the NWQL. Results of the analysis of the commercial standard agreed (within 5 percent) with the known concentrations of the trace elements. The quality-assurance data (three blanks, one split sample, and one standard), although not statistically evaluated because of the small data set, indicate that the measured trace-element concentrations are precise and accurate and that the samples were free of contamination at the microgram-per-liter level of contamination.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1995

Gross-beta activity in ground water: natural sources and artifacts of sampling and laboratory analysis

Gross-beta activity has been used as an indicator of beta-emitting isotopes in water since at least the early 1950s. Originally designed for detection of radioactive releases from nuclear facilities and weapons tests, analysis of gross-beta activity is widely used in studies of naturally occurring radioactivity in ground water. Analyses of about 800 samples from 5 ground-water regions of the United States provide a basis for evaluating the utility of this measurement. The data suggest that measured gross-beta activities are due to (1) long-lived radionuclides in ground water, and (2) ingrowth of beta-emitting radionuclides during holding times between collection of samples and laboratory measurements. Although 40 K and 228 Ra appear to be the primary sources of beta activity in ground water, the sum of 40 K plus 228 Ra appears to be less than the measured gross-beta activity in most ground-water samples. The difference between the contribution from these radionuclides and gross-beta activity is most pronounced in ground water with gross-beta activities > 10 pCi/L, where these 2 radionuclides account for less than one-half the measured ross-beta activity. One exception is groundwater from the Coastal Plain of New Jersey, where 40 K plus 228 Ra generally contribute most of the gross-beta activity. In contrast, 40 K and 228 Ra generally contribute most of beta activity in ground water with gross-beta activities < 1 pCi/L. The gross-beta technique does not measure all beta activity in ground water. Although 3 H contributes beta activity to some ground water, it is driven from the sample before counting and therefore is not detected by gross-beta measurements. Beta-emitting radionuclides with half-lives shorter than a few days can decay to low values between sampling and counting. Although little is known about concentrations of most short-lived beta-emitting radionuclides in environmental ground water (water unaffected by direct releases from nuclear facilities and weapons tests), their activities are expected to be low. Ingrowth of beta-emitting radionuclides during sample holding times can contribute to gross-beta activity, particularly in ground water with gross-beta activities > 10 pCi/L. Ingrowth of beta-emitting progeny of 238 U, specifically 234 Pa and 234 Th, contributes much of the measured gross-beta activity in ground water from 4 of the 5 areas studied. Consequently, gross-beta activity measurements commonly overestimate the abundance of beta-emitting radionuclides actually present in ground water. Differing sample holding times before analysis lead to differing amounts of ingrowth of the two progeny. Therefore, holding times can affect observed gross-beta measurements, particularly in ground water with 238 U activities that are moderate to high compared with the activity of 40 K plus 228 Ra. Uncertainties associated with counting efficiencies for beta particles with different energies further complicate the interpretation of gross-beta measurements.

Applied Geochemistry↗