Influencing factors of groundwater 238U, 232Th, 40K, and rare earth element contamination: Insights from the two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation of radiological risks.
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Ionizing radiation from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) can pose significant health risks to humans, particularly when contaminating groundwater. As a vital resource, groundwater is essential for drinking, irrigation, and industrial processes in many regions worldwide. Therefore, this study developed a comprehensive and innovative method for groundwater source-specific radiological risk assessment, integrating multivariate statistical analysis, the two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation (2D MCS), and a geographic information system (GIS) for mapping. Groundwater samples from an agricultural region were analyzed for radionuclides, including 238U, 232Th, and 40K, alongside sixteen rare earth elements (REE). Using the positive matrix factorization model, three pollution sources were identified: geogenic processes, weathering of REE-rich rocks, and agricultural activities. The results of source-specific radiological risk assessment revealed that adults were more vulnerable to radiological risk than children, and agricultural activities as the dominant contributor to risks. It was concluded that exposure frequency (EF), ingestion rate (IR), and 40K concentration were the exposure parameters with the greatest impact on radiological risk. Modeling these parameters established their critical values as 190 days/year, 2 L/day, and 415 ng/L, respectively, to ensure that the radiological risk for adults remains within the safety limit. Additionally, the incorporation of the 2D MCS into the risk assessment process significantly enhanced the accuracy and precision of the results, in comparison with the deterministic and one-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation (1D MCS) models. This research provides practical guidance for the sustainable management of water resources and presents an innovative methodology that can be applied to similar regions globally.