STUDY OF 238U AND 234U RADIOACTIVE DISEQUILIBRIUM IN ROCK-WATER INTERACTION IN GRANITOIDS FROM THE INTRUSIVE SUITE OF ITU (SP) BY ALPHA SPECTROMETRY

• Grant number: 09/01756-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2009
• End date: December 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geophysics
• Principal Investigator: Rosana Nunes dos Santos
• Grantee: Eduardo Farias da Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The investigation of the condition of secular radioactive equilibrium of natural series decay will be applied to the study of radioactive disequilibrium in different geologic materials, such as tracers of the mechanisms of transport of water in aquifers and water-rock interaction, providing fundamental information on the scales of time involved in these processes. This work aims to study the 238U and 234U radioactive disequilibrium in the water-rock interaction in the granitoids of Intrusive Suite of Itu (SP) by alpha spectrometry, through the leaching experiments performed under controlled laboratory conditions. These results will be used as tracers of the mechanisms of transport of water in aquifers, the water-rock interaction and mobility of these elements in processes caused by weathering, and they also provide essential information on the scales of time involved in these processes.The granitic rocks will be collected in city of Itu, located in the state of São Paulo. A detail survey will be conducted of basic parameters for the understanding of processes related to the mobilization of radionuclides in the environment specifically focusing on the behavior geochemistry of uranium isotopes, under controlled laboratory conditions.The results determined in this work are part of a project developed in the laboratory of the Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas - IAG/USP, and will be used in interpreting the results of the process of water-rock interaction of the system.