Uranium and 234U/238U isotopic ratios in some groundwater wells at Southwestern Sinai, Egypt

The present work is an attempt to study the uranium concentration and deviation in activity ratio 234U/238U from secular equilibrium conditions for determination the geochemical variation due to water–rock interaction. The studied wells are located in southwestern Sinai, between longitudes 33°20′ and 33°26′E and latitudes 29°06′ and 29°12′N. The samples were collected in February 2012 (5 samples) and also in April 2013 (5 samples). The U-concentrations were between 238 and 25,413 mBq/l which is out of permissible limits for drinking. The obtained isotopic ratio 234U/238U varies between 0.029 and 1.49 indicating a disturbed radioactive equilibrium between the two uranium isotopes.