To enrich cosmogenic
7Be and
22Na, artificial
137Cs and natural radium isotopes, three chemical methods were applied to large volumes (100–300 l) of ground water from Daisen
Volcano, Japan. The co-precipitation method using BaSO
4, Fe(OH)
3 and AMP, yielded
7Be,
137Cs and radium isotope levels of nearly 100%. An ordinary ion-exchange column method, selectively recovered
22Na (77%) through two continuous column operations.
40K was satisfactorily removed in both, the co-precipitation and column methods. In addition, the simple batch method was suitable
for rapid treatment even on the slope of a volcano without sacrificing yields. Low-background γ-spectrometry combined with
these chemical treatments enabled the determination of extremely low-levels of
7Be,
22Na,
137Cs and radium isotopes (0.01–4 mBq/l) in ground water samples. The measurement of these nuclides of Daisen ground water provide
new information on the flow system of volcanic water, including residence time, the mixing of precipitation, and the aquifer’s
environment.