Coal mining activity and radium isotope contamination of river water in Silesia, Poland

The aim of this research was to determine the relative proportions of soluble and nonsoluble radium in river waters in the Silesia region of Poland and its vicinity. Samples were collected in May 1997 from the Vistula River at seven different locations, and from six tributaries during medium river level conditions. Samples were filtered, and separate analyses were conducted on the liquid and solid phases. Radium was separated by co-precipitation (with PbCrO4 and BaSO4). The thin sources obtained were analysed by alpha-spectrometer with silicon detectors, and by low-background gamma spectrometer (the recovery of radium was controlled by Ba-133 tracer). The highest activity of Ra-226 in the water samples was 334+/-11 mBq l(-1), whereas the lowest result was 0+/-1 mBq l(-1). These results suggest that radium is transported in soluble form (or as very tiny particles).