Determination of radon, major and trace elements in water samples from springs and wells of northern Mexico State, Mexico

Abstract

Radon was determined in four springs and three wells from urban and agricultural zones in the middle part of the Mexican Neovolcanic Belt. Major and trace elements were also determined in the water samples. The measurement tech- niques included the liquid scintillation method for 222Rn, conventional chemical analyses for major components and ICP-MS for metallic trace elements. The average radon concentration values were relatively low ranging from 0.97 to 4.99 Bq L-1 indicating a rapid transit from recharge area to the output of the springs. The major and trace elements showed differences in the origin of water for the studied sites.