The 234U/238U isotope ratio in waters near the uranium mineral deposits

Uranium has three natural isotopes: 238 U, 235 U and 234 U. Isotopes 238 U and 235 U are primordial, isotope 234 U is one of the daughter products of 238 U decay series. Genetically dependent uranium isotopes 238 and 234 are fractionated in nature. The main reason is the alpha recoil in solid (crystalline) phase, where there is a preferential settling subsidiary 234 U in a higher oxidation state (VI). The isotope 234 U is then more available at the recent geochemical processes: leaching and alteration. Water then usually has 234 U/238 U activity ratio higher than 1, while the activity ratio in solid residuum is smaller than unity. Isotopic ratio in water is dependent on many factors. The most important are the nature of source rocks, weathering rate, the dynamics of geochemical processes (e.g. fluid-flow velocity) or anthropogenic influence on geological environment at mining of uranium deposits. Identification of these fractionation factors is not easy. Differences in the isotope ratios in water may be used to identify the source of uranium and to evaluate the contribution of technogenic uranium