Mapping short-lived radium isotopes in estuarine residential canals (Gold Coast, Australia)

Distributions of short-lived radium isotopes ( ²²⁴Ra and ²²³Ra) were investigated on the Gold Coast waterways, one of the largest residential estuarine canal systems on Earth, in an attempt to estimate radium-derived residence times and obtain insights into sources of radium isotopes. Surface and bottom canal waters were sampled in 61 locations over ~300 km of waterways. Radium isotope activities were 12-fold higher in groundwater than estuarine waters. Surprisingly, radium activities were usually higher in surface waters than bottom waters implying a radium source associated with tidal pumping in artificial beach sediments. Estimated radium ages were usually younger within artificial canal surface waters than in the natural estuarine waterways. This study shows that the tidally driven groundwater radium source can be enhanced by the extended canal shoreline.