Hydrological behaviour of tritium on the former semipalatinsk nuclear test site (Kazakhstan) determined using stable isotope measurements

Abstract

Tritium and stable isotope (deuterium 2H and 18O) concentrations have been determined in natural waters collected from shallow lakes, wells, streams and rivers inside and in the vicinity of the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (NE Kazakhstan). The Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS) was one of the main proving grounds for the testing of nuclear weapons by the former Soviet Union. Tritium activity concentrations have been determined by liquid scintillation counting, while hydrogen isotopic composition have been determined using a GV-Isoprime mass spectrometer coupled to an elemental analyzer. Tritium activity concentrations recorded in lake waters (in most cases >10 Bq L-1) were significantly higher than those in well, stream and the Irtysh River waters. In lake waters, enrichments in deuterium and 18O (δD and δ18O varying between –5 and –64 ‰ V-SMOW and –8.4 and +5.5 ‰ V-SMOW, respectively), and high salt concentrations, strongly suggest that significant evaporation has occurred. In contrast, deuterium and tritium signatures of ‘common’ surface and underground waters at the STS were mostly typical of present-day isotope backgrounds of natural waters in NE Kazakhstan. In STS, come salt lakes like Bajansor and Tumatsor with elevated tritium activity from 12 to 15 Bq L-1 lie close to the Global Meteoric Water Line. The potential tritium source for these lakes is residual concentration of tritium after former nuclear test in STS. The study provides evidence to show that export of tritium from underground nuclear test areas and tritium enrichment produced by evaporation are both important determinants of tritium concentrations in standing waters on the Semipalatinsk test site.