NJ Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network, Radionuclides, 2020-2022

This update (2024) includes the radionuclides data from the 6th sampling cycle (2020-2022) of the New Jersey Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network (AGWQMN). Radioisotopes (radionuclides) are unstable isotopes of specific elements that emit radioactivity. Alpha particles are a type of ionizing radiation ejected by the nuclei of certain unstable atoms. These particles are essentially a helium nucleus having two protons and two neutrons. Most alpha emitters occur naturally in the environment. For example, the decay of naturally occurring uranium and thorium include many radioactive daughters that decay via alpha emission. Radionuclides are present in varying amounts in nearly all rocks, soils, and water. Human activity can also release radioactive substances into the environment. For this project, gross alpha and gross beta radoiactivity are measured in groundwater samples. The unit of measurement is picocuries per liter (pCi/L). New Jersey's AGWQMN is a cooperative program between the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and United States Geological Survey (USGS). The goals of the current network are to determine the status and trends of shallow groundwater quality as a function of land use related to non-point source pollution in New Jersey. This network consists of 150 monitoring wells screened at the water table. Thirty of these wells were sampled per year on a 5 year cycle from 1999-2013. Beginning with the 4th sampling cycle in 2014, the sampling frequency was changed to once every 3 years (3-year cycle). This layer includes data from sampling cycle 6; samples were collected between 2020 and 2022. The New Jersey Geological and Water Survey (NJGWS) manages the network design, well installation, well maintenance, data interpretation, reporting, and a portion of the well sampling. The NJDEP Bureau of Fresh Water and Biological Monitoring and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) collect the remaining ground-water samples and the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado or their contracted laboratories analyzes them. Chemical and physical parameters analyzed at each well include field parameters such as pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, water temperature and alkalinity, major ions, trace elements (metals), gross-alpha particle activity (radionuclides), volatile organic compounds, nutrients, and pesticides.本次2024年更新包含新泽西州环境地下水质量监测网络（New Jersey Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network, AGWQMN）第6次采样周期（2020-2022年）的放射性核素数据。放射性同位素（radionuclides，即放射性核素）是会释放放射性的特定元素的不稳定同位素。α粒子是一类由某些不稳定原子的原子核释放出的电离辐射，这类粒子本质上是拥有2个质子和2个中子的氦原子核。大多数α辐射源天然存在于环境中，例如天然铀和钍的衰变过程中会产生多种放射性子体，这些子体通过α衰变释放辐射。几乎所有岩石、土壤和水体中都存在含量各异的放射性核素，人类活动也会向环境中释放放射性物质。本项目针对地下水样品测定总α和总β放射性活度，测量单位为皮居里每升（picocuries per liter, pCi/L）。新泽西州AGWQMN是新泽西州环境保护局（New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, NJDEP）与美国地质调查局（United States Geological Survey, USGS）合作开展的项目。当前该监测网络的目标是探究新泽西州浅层地下水质量的现状与变化趋势，及其与面源污染相关土地利用类型的关联关系。该监测网络共包含150眼安装在潜水面的监测井。1999年至2013年期间，该网络每年采样30眼井，采样周期为5年；自2014年第4次采样周期起，采样频率调整为每3年一次（3年周期）。本次数据集包含第6次采样周期的数据，样品采集时间为2020年至2022年。新泽西州地质与水文调查局（New Jersey Geological and Water Survey, NJGWS）负责监测网络的设计、井位安装、井体维护、数据解译、报告编制以及部分井体采样工作。新泽西州环境保护局淡水与生物监测局以及美国地质调查局（USGS）负责剩余地下水样品的采集，样品由位于科罗拉多州丹佛市的USGS国家水质实验室或其签约实验室完成分析。各监测井的分析检测指标涵盖物理化学参数：现场测定参数包括pH值、比电导率、溶解氧、水温及碱度；其余检测项还包括主要离子、痕量元素（金属）、总α粒子活度（放射性核素）、挥发性有机化合物、营养盐以及农药类物质。