Distribution of uranium in rocks and radon levels in water in the San Carlos-Safford-Duncan Nonpoint-Source Management Zone

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Author
Harris, R.C.
Issue Date
1996-12-01
Keywords
Arizona Geological Survey Open File Reports
Greenlee County
Graham County
San Carlos-Safford-Duncan Nonpoint-Source Management Zone
Duncan
San Carlos
Safford
Arizona
hazard
water quality

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Citation
Harris, R.C., 1996, Distribution of uranium in rocks and radon levels in water in the San Carlos-Safford-Duncan Nonpoint-Source Management Zone. Arizona Geological Survey Open File Report, OFR-96-28, 3 map sheets, map scales 1:250,000 and 1:500,000, 10 p.
Publisher
Arizona Geological Survey (Tucson, AZ)
Description
As part of a study of potential non-point-source impacts on water quality, this report discusses the nature and distribution ofuranium and radon in rocks, sediments, soils, and water in the San Carlos-Safford-Duncan Nonpoint-Source Management Zone (Figure 1). This study relies on previously published information, and for much of the Management Zone, this information is not detailed, or is not available. Uranium is a naturally occurring element, found in all rocks and soils, as well as in all natural surface and groundwaters. Average values for typical crustal rocks are 4.4 ppm for granite, 0.8 ppm in basalt, and 3.8 ppm in shale (Brownlow, 1979, p. 43). The range of uranium concentrations within each rock type commonly varies by factors of 2 to 10. Granites in Arizona, for example, have background levels of uranium ranging from 1.17 ppm in the Wilderness Granite, Santa Catalina Mountains, to 10 ppm in the Stronghold Granite in the Dragoon Mountains, and up to 51 ppm in the Lawler Peak Granite in Yavapai County (Duncan and Spencer, 1993b). Radon is a naturally occurring gas produced from the radioactive decay ofuranium. 222Radon, the isotope of interest, is a daughter of 238U (via 226Ra). 222 Radon decays with a half life of 3.82 days, emitting an alpha particle. Radon is highly soluble in water, and consequently is found in all natural waters. Radon may degas from domestic water, accounting for some ofthe indoor radon found in buildings. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed, but not yet enforced, a limit of 300 picocuries per liter (PCiIl) for radon in water. (10 pages, 3 map sheets)
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10150/630835
Additional Links
http://repository.azgs.az.gov/uri_gin/azgs/dlio/414
Language
en
Series/Report no.
OFR-96-28
Rights
Arizona Geological Survey. All rights reserved.
Collection Information
Documents in the AZGS Document Repository collection are made available by the Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS) and the University Libraries at the University of Arizona. For more information about items in this collection, please contact azgs-info@email.arizona.edu.
North Bounding Coordinate
33.5002
South Bounding Coordinate
32.5977
West Bounding Coordinate
-110.583
East Bounding Coordinate
-109.039
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