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Advanced Instruments for Identifying Geochemical Dependences of Radionuclide Migration in Natural Waters

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Abstract

The geochemical dependences of the migration of natural radionuclides (U and Th) in different species are analyzed for the Semipalatinsk test site using methods of multivariate statistics. The region is distinguished by the wide diversity of geochemical environments and a large number of water bodies. A brief study of water geochemistry of the studied water bodies of the Semipalatinsk test site is reported, and the contents of natural radionuclides and proportions of their forms (suspended, colloidal and dissolved) are established. Differences in the migration of thorium and uranium in water bodies, streams, and minor water streams have been determined. It was found that the Ca/Mg, \({{{\text{SO}}_{4}^{{2 - }}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{{\text{SO}}_{4}^{{2 - }}} {{\text{C}}{{{\text{l}}}^{ - }}}}} \right. \kern-0em} {{\text{C}}{{{\text{l}}}^{ - }}}},\) and Th/U ratios serve as markers of geochemical processes in the studied waters. Non-parametric correlation analysis indicates that the major component ratios are good to use as a geochemical descriptors of thorium and uranium speciation. According to the discriminant analysis data, the suspended and colloid thorium species are indicators of colloidal transport. Factor and cluster analyses have revealed the paragenetic associations of major and trace components related to the uranium and thorium speciation.

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Funding

The reported study was funded by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 19-33-60030).

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  1. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234, Moscow, Russia

    A. S. Toropov

  2. National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050, Tomsk, Russia

    G. M. Yessilkanov

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Toropov, A.S., Yessilkanov, G.M. Advanced Instruments for Identifying Geochemical Dependences of Radionuclide Migration in Natural Waters. Geochem. Int. 60, 266–278 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702922010116

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