Uranium in British Surface and Underground Waters

Abstract

RECENT interest in the alpha-activity of potable water¹ has prompted the following summary of the results of analyses for uranium in surface and underground waters, obtained during an assessment of uranium mineral resources in Great Britain (Table 1). Most of the samples were collected by the Atomic Energy Division of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and the uranium content determined by the National Chemical Laboratory, the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, and the Atomic Energy Division. The analytical techniques were : the colorimetric method developed by Smith and Chandler², with later modifications by Hunt³ ; the simple fluorimetric method of Milner and Barnett⁴ ; and the fluorimetric method normally used in the laboratory.