Economic and Environmental Geology (자원환경지질)

The Korean Society of Economic and Environmental Geology (대한자원환경지질학회)
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Uranium Concentrations in Groundwater of the Goesan Area, Korea

괴산지역 지하수의 우라늄 함량

  • Cho, Byong-Wook (Groundwater and Ecohydrology Research Center, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
  • 조병욱 (한국지질자원연구원 지하수생태연구센터)
  • Received : 2017.09.04
  • Accepted : 2017.10.18
  • Published : 2017.10.28
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Abstract

Uranium concentration in groundwater of the Goesan area was anticipated high because the area contains Ogcheon metamorphic rock zone which partly includes coal bed bearing high uranium content and nearly half of the area is covered by granitic rocks. Groundwater samples collected from 250 wells in five 5 lithology (Ogcheon meta-sandy rock zone (Og1), Ogcheon lower phyllite zone (Og2), Ogcheon pebble bearing phyllite zone (Og3), Jurassic granite (Jgr), Cretaceous granite (Kgr)), of the area were analyzed and equivalent uranium concentrations (e(U)) from 200 rocks near sampled wells were measured using portable gamma spectrometry. Higher median value of e(U) (8.2 mg/kg) was found on Kgr outcrops. The median e(U) value of Og2 was not as high as that of Kgr and similar to those of Jgr, Og1, and Og3 (3.05~3.90 mg/kg). The uranium level in groundwater of the area ranged from 0.01 to $293.0{\mu}g/L$ with a median value of $0.87{\mu}g/L$ which is similar to the national median uranium level of $0.74{\mu}g/L$. The uranium concentration was high in the samples from the Kgr (median $4.74{\mu}g/L$) and low samples from the Og1, Og2, and Og3 (median $0.35{\sim}0.74{\mu}g/L$). The percentage of total samples having uranium level above $30{\mu}g/L$ was 2.8%, on the other hand, that of Kgr is 20.7%, reflecting additional survey on the Kgr area is needed.

괴산지역은 우라늄 함량이 높은 탄질점판암이 국부적으로 분포하고 있으며 화강암의 분포비율이 절반 정도나 되어 지하수의 우라늄 함량이 높을 것으로 예상되었다. 250개 지하수에서 우라늄 함량을 분석하였고 250개 지하수 중 200 개 지점에서 암석내 우라늄 함량을 측정하였다. 연구지역의 지질을 5개 (옥천 변성사질암대 (Og1), 옥천 하부천매암대 (Og2), 옥천 함력천매암대 (Og3), 쥬라기화강암(Jgr), 백악기화강암(Kgr))으로 대분하면 암석의 우라늄 함량 중앙값은 Kgr에서 8.2 mg/kg으로 가장 높았으며 Og2의 우라늄 함량은 나머지 Jgr, Og1, Og3 (3.05~3.90 mg/kg)의 범위로 비슷하게 나타났다. 250개 지하수의 우라늄 함량 범위는 $0.01{\sim}293.0{\mu}g/L$(중앙값 $0.87{\mu}g/L$)으로 국내 전체 지하수의 우라늄 중앙값 $0.74{\mu}g/L$와 비슷한 것으로 나타났다. 지질별 지하수의 우라늄 함량은 Kgr이 $4.74{\mu}g/L$으로 높고 Og1, Og2, Og3는 $0.35{\sim}0.74{\mu}g/L$으로 낮게 나타났다. 전체 지하수의 WHO의 음용수 가이드라인 $30{\mu}g/L$ 초과율은 국내 전체와 비슷한 2.8%이나 Kgr 지역의 초과율은 20.7%나 되어 추가 연구가 필요하다.

Keywords

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