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Anomalously high levels of uranium and 210Pb have been detected in untreated domestic groundwater wells near Simpsonville/Fountain Inn, South Carolina. Nine wells were sampled from the affected area and analyzed for total uranium, 234,235,238U, 226,228Ra, 222Rn, and 210Pb as well other water quality parameters. These data augment other uranium concentration measurements and limited 226,228Ra and 222Rn concentration measurements collected on private and public wells by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The observed radionuclide data were compared to maximum levels published in several national surveys from the past 30 years. The total uranium concentration in the groundwater ranged from 44.3 to 5,570 µg L-1, with one well having the second highest published concentration in the U.S. The 234U/238U activity ratio ranged from 1.1 to 2.5. 226Ra concentrations ranged from less than the minimum detectable concentration (< MDC) to 1,154 mBq L-1 while the 228Ra concentration ranged from < MDC to 532.8 mBq L and the Rn levels ranged from 62 to 1,510 Bq L-1. The 210Pb concentrations ranged from < MDC to 844 mBq L-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A gamma-ray survey and analysis of 16 riverbed samples from the Reedy River watershed near Simpsonville, SC were conducted and compared with national and international studies of primordial radionuclides. The study reported here follows on a recent discovery of anomalously high uranium concentrations in several private well waters in the area. An HPGe spectrometer was used for quantification of gamma emitting radionuclides in the sediments. All sediments contained radionuclides from the uranium and thorium series as well as 40K. Uranium-238 concentrations in sediment samples ranged from 11.1 to 74.2Bqkg−1. The measured radionuclide concentrations were compared with data from UNSCEAR and NURE reports. The river and stream sediment data were augmented by in situ NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectrometer measurements. Comparisons between the ex situ and in situ measurements indicate equivalently distributed uranium in the surface soils and stream sediments, the source of which is likely attributed to the monazite belts that are known to exist in the area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]