Which noble gases are radioactive

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Featured content. Free courses. All content. The equilibrium relationship between the atmosphere and the body of water is described in Henry's Law:. In other words, the equilibrium concentration of the noble gases depends on three parameters: temperature, salinity, and atmospheric pressure.

Nuclear transformation through radioactive decay may be important for some isosopes. For example, 4 He [link] is a stable product of many U-series decay paths. In contrast, Rn gas is a radioactive intermediate. Hydrological Applications return to top Assuming that salinity and atmospheric pressure are known, water that is at equilibrium with the atmosphere at the time of recharge and is subsequently sealed off from the atmosphere may be used to reconstruct the temperature at the time of the recharge.

Since noble gases tend to not react with other elements, the concentrations of noble gases in groundwater remain fairly constant once sealed off from the atmosphere. Two additional parameters need to be considered in the reconstruction of these past or paleo-temperatures: amount of excess air A and degree of re-equilibration R. Excess air is dissolved gas in the groundwater that does not originate with the initial equilibration with the atmosphere. One possible scenario for the formation of this excess air is as follows: the water table rises, quickly trapping air bubbles in the groundwater; the air bubbles partially dissolve in the water with the heavier noble gases partially dissolving first, leading to fractionation ; the gas slowly exchanges with the atmosphere re-equilibration until new recharge seals off the exchange Stute and Schlosser The resulting gas component in the water is considered excess air.

It can be recognized when the ratio of N 2 to Ar in the sample is different from the equilibrium solubility ratio of N 2 to Ar in water.

High concentrations of excess air are caused by a rapid rise in the water table and are indicative of fractured rock aquifers and aquifers in semi-arid lands. Because the solubility of gases varies as a function of temperature, noble gas concentrations can be used to determine recharge temperature of a groundwater sample.

Studies generally use stable neon, argon, krypton, and xenon gases in reconstructing the temperature of recharge from years to millions of years ago; due to high radiogenic production, helium is not often considered. This may provide a clue as to where the recharge occurred. Javascript must be enabled for narrowing. Results 1 - 1 of 1. Search took: 0. Biological effects of the radioactive noble gases. Morken, D. Abstract Abstract.

A property of interest for the non-radioactive gases is their solubility in the various body tissues and fluids. Some of these noble gases have the additional property of radioactivity. The combination of radioactivity and solubility permits the identification of a critical organ according to established procedures.

The pathological response is not always greatest, or even of singular importance, in the organ so identified by calculation. Biological responses are desired for a prudent evaluation of the biological effect, but the choice of response and the mode of irradiation pose a large problem.

The radioactive gases decay schemes include the emission of alpha particles, beta particles, positrons, and electron capture; and this decay is sometimes accompanied by gamma radiation.