GROSS ALPHA-RADIOACTIVITY AND CHEMICAL TRACE-ELEMENT CONTENT OF THERMAL WATERS MEASURED BY SSNTD AND XRF METHODS

We have developed a new method to study the gross alpha activity conce ntration of thermal waters. The method is based on applying track etch , (CR-39) alpha autoradiography on solid tablets prepared from the dry mineral residue of these natural waters. The same tablets served for additional chemical element analysis performed by XRF method. The two methods were applied in a complex study of 31 thermal wells situated i n the NE part of the Great Hungarian Plain. From the comparison of the gross alpha activity concentration and the chemical element contents it appeared that the alpha activity well correlates with the calcium a nd strontium content of the samples. As they are chemically homologues of the radium it strongly suggests that the alpha radioactivity of th ermal waters correspond to their Ra-226 Content. This idea is supporte d by the results of independent Rn-222 measurements in the same water samples performed by another novel ''track etch radon monitor in a gla ss vessel'', method.