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WATER & ENVIRONMENT NEWS

Issue No. 1, September 1997

WATER &

ENVIRONMENT

IAEA Subprogramme on water resourcesForewordEditorialStaff of Isotope Hydrology SectionStaff of Isotope Hydrology LaboratoryIsotope Hydrology: a historic overviewBecome a contributor

Group photo of the 1997 IAEA Symposium on Isotope Studies of Climate Change

CONTENTS

Current programme and projectsThe Isotope Hydrology LaboratoryUnderstanding climate changesCo-operation with other organizationsIsotope Hydrology CalendarIsotopes in water resources managementGNIP within your reach

2334457

8101212131314


Issued by the

Vienna, Austria

International Atomic Energy Agency

A Quarterly Newsletter of the IAEA Subprogramme on Development and Management of Water ResourcesNEWS

ISSN 1020 7120



SUB-PROGRAMMEOBJECTIVES

• to assist, through integra-tion of isotope techniquesin applied research andpractical applications, insolving practical problemsrelated to sustainable andefficient management ofwater resources.

• to promote research andfield studies related to man-induced changes and hydro-climatic influences on thewater cycle and its interac-tion with other geosphericsystems.

PROJECTS IN THESUB-PROGRAMME

Human Impact on Wa-ter Resources (F4.01)

• to further develop andenhance applications ofisotope methodologies inthe assessment of adverseconsequences of presentwater utilization practices.

• to achieve improved wa-ter utilization policies thatwould minimize waterquality degradation causedby human activities.

Water Resources in Re-gions of Water Scarcity(F4.02)

• to contribute to and im-prove the assessment andprotection of water re-sources in regions of waterscarcity, in particular inarid and semi-arid areas.

• to assist Member Statesin such regions to incorpo-rate isotope methods intoroutine practices for thedetermination of hydrologi-cal parameters for opti-mum utilization of scarcewater resources.

Hydro-climaticChanges and Impact onCatchment and SurfaceWater Systems (F4.03)

• to assess and demon-strate the applicability ofisotope techniques in se-lected studies of the hydro-sphere and atmosphere re-lated to natural and man-induced environmental

changes

• to enable better predic-tion of their future implica-tions on water resources.

• to enhance the contribu-tion of isotope applicationsfor improved understandingof fluvial processes and

• to minimize the adverseeffects of such fluvial pro-cesses on soil and waterresources.

Analytical Services andQuality Assurance(F4.04)

• to provide assistance inthe determination of theisotope and chemical com-position of water and otherenvironmental materialsand to assure analyticalquality.

Support to TechnicalCo-operation Pro-grammes (F4.05)

• to provide technical sup-port to the Agency’s techni-cal co-operation projects inMember States.

IAEA SUB-PROGRAMMEDEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF

WATER RESOURCES(1997-1998)

How to Contact UsHow to Contact Us

Isotope Hydrology SectionInternational Atomic Energy AgencyP.O. Box 100, Wagramerstrasse 5A-1400, ViennaAUSTRIA

Head of the Section:Mr. KlausFröhlichTel. +43-1-2060-21735/21736Fax: +43-1-20607e-mail: [email protected]

These projects are be-ing implemented by theIsotope Hydrology Sec-tion and the Agency’s

Laboratories



n recent years, isotope applica-tions in hydrology and water re-

sources assessment have reacheda notable level of maturity. Ade-quate investigations have beencarried out to provide sufficientexamples for practical applicationsin combination with other hydrolog-ical methods.

Since it was founded in 1958, theInternational Atomic EnergyAgency has been actively engagedin the promotion of applied re-search directed towards the devel-opment of isotope techniques andtheir applications in the water sec-tor of Member States.

Keeping in mind that integratedplanning and management cover-ing the whole water cycle is relatedto the goal of sustainable develop-ment in many parts of the world,the thrust of the Agency’s activitiesin this field is towards incorpora-tion of isotope techniques in re-gional and national programmes inwater resources development and

in Precipitation (GNIP), especiallyfor climatological studies, and theestablishment of an isotope hydrol-ogy database.

The efficient implementation of thisprogramme requires closer collabo-ration and enhanced co-operationwith international organizations andthe whole scientific community en-gaged in water and environment in-vestigations. This News Bulletin wasconceived to this end, and it ishoped and expected that it maycontribute to the exchange of infor-mation among the scientific commu-nity in isotope hydrology.

I would like to encourage the effortsto launch the first issue of the newsbulletin and I wish this endeavorfull success.

R.M. Iyer, DirectorDivision of Physical andChemical Sciences

management, with emphasis onregions suffering from waterscarcity. Issues such as the assess-ment of human impact on waterresources (e.g. water pollution ofthe drinking water supply in largeurban areas) and hydrological as-pects of geothermal resources de-velopment are currently matters ofconcern.

Recognizing the impact of globalwarming on water resources, theapplied research programme onisotope hydrology has recently beenexpanded to include a componenton hydroclimatic changes and im-pact on catchment and surface wa-ter systems including, inter alia ,studies on the isotopic compositionof atmospheric greenhouse gases.An integral part of the programmeis the furthering of analytical devel-opments and provision of analyticalservices and quality assurance bythe Agency’s isotope hydrology lab-oratory. New challenges of the pro-gramme include the enhanced useof the Global Network for Isotopes

“Water and Environment News”will brief the reader on news re-lated to isotope applications in thewater and environment sector. Itwill bring the reader up to date onwhat is going on in the variousprojects constituting the IAEA sub-programme entitled “Developmentand Management of Water Re-sources”, and will highlight newresults and achievements made inimplementing the programme ac-tivities, including those jointly car-ried out with other organizationsand institutes. Furthermore, thenews bulletin will serve as an inter-national open forum for the ex-change of information in isotopehydrology and related fields. In-structions for contributors to thebulletin may be found in this issue.

This news bulletin will addressboth professionals and interested

non-professionals and thus its lay-out has been chosen accordingly.The contributions will be conciseand, to the extent possible, illus-trated by figures and tables.

“Water and Environment News”edited by the Isotope HydrologySection, Division of Physical andChemical Sciences of the IAEA De-partment of Research and Isotopes,will be published quarterly by theDivision of Publications of theIAEA. At a later stage, this newsbulletin is expected to be also avail-able through the Internet.

The first issue will make our readersacquainted with general aspects ofthe Agency’s sub-programme onDevelopment and Management ofWater Resources, give anoverview on past activities andachievements, and highlight current

ones. The Agency’s staff involved inall these activities is briefly intro-duced, and the reader interested inspecific aspects of a staff member’swork may wish to contact her or himthrough the given E-Mail address.

I hope “Water and EnvironmentNews” will arouse the readers’ inter-est, and we would be pleased to getcomments and suggestions whichwill help us to refine the technicalcontent and/or the layout of thisnews bulletin. The first issue of“Water and Environment News” isexpected to join the multiple contri-butions to the Agency’s 40th an-niversary.

Klaus Froehlich, HeadIsotope Hydrology Section



Mr. FROEHLICH, KlausHead of the Section, Germany,Physicist, Ph.D. in Applied NuclearPhysics, joined the Section in1988.Telephone: +43-1-2060-21735;E-Mail:[email protected].

Mr. AGGARWAL, Pradeep K.U.S.A., Geochemist, Ph.D. in Geo-chemistry, joined the Section in1997. He is involved in the appli-cation of isotope techniques to wa-ter pollution and biogeochemicalprocesses and in geochemicalmodeling activities.Telephone: +43-1-2060-21758;E-Mail: [email protected].

Mr. ARAGUÁS-ARAGUÁS, LuisJ.Spain, Geologist, Ph.D. in EarthSciences, joined the Section in1991, especially involved in activi-ties related to the Global Networkfor Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP)and the associated database.Telephone: +43-1-2060-21733;E-Mail: [email protected].

Mr. GARCIA-AGUDO, EdmundoBrazil, Chemist, Ph.D. in Chem-istry, joined the Section in 1994.

Geothermics, joined the Section in1997 as a temporary assistant, re-sponsible for the News Bulletin andinvolved in geochemical andgeothermal activities.Telephone: +43-1-2060-21733;E-Mail: [email protected].

Mr. YURTSEVER, YuecelTurkey, Civil Engineer, M. Sc. inHydraulics, staff member of theSection from 1970 to 1976, andsince 1982. His special field of workis quantitative evaluation of isotopedata in hydrological systems throughmodeling techniques.Telephone: +43-1-2060-21732;E-Mail: [email protected].

Ms. FADLAOUI, HeleneSenior Clerk/SecretaryTelephone: +43-1-2060-21736;E-mail:[email protected].

Ms. DEVIA-TORRES, CeciliaTelephone: +43-1-2060-21738;E-Mail:[email protected].

Ms. FRUEHWIRTH, HedwigTelephone: +43-1-2060-21737;E-Mail:[email protected].

His work is focused on the applica-tion of tracers in hydrology.Telephone: +43-1-2060-21739;E-Mail:[email protected].

Ms. GERARDO-ABAYA, JanePhilippines, Geologist, M.Sc. (unitscompleted) in Geology, joined theSection in 1994. Her main dutiesdeal with geothermal and ground-water pollution activities.Telephone: +43-1-2060-21742;E-Mail:[email protected].

Ms. GIBERT-MASSAULT, Elisa-bethFrance, Hydrogeologist, Ph.D. inHydrology and Isotope Geochem-istry, joined the Section in 1997.She is especially involved in hydro-logical, palaeohydrological andpalaeoclimatological activities.Telephone: +43-1-2060-21742;E-Mail:[email protected].

Mr. GROENING, ManfredGermany, Physicist, Ph.D. in Envi-ronmental Physics, joined the Sec-tion in 1995, Head of the IsotopeHydrology Laboratory.Telephone: +43-1-2060-21740;E-Mail: m .groening @iaea.org.

Mr. PANG, ZhongheChina, Hydrogeologist, Ph.D. in

Mr. GROENING, ManfredHead of Laboratory (see above)

Ms. ANDREESCU, LilianaStable isotope mass spectrometryTelephone:+43-1-2060-21760;E-Mail: [email protected].

Mr. AUER, RandolfElectronics and computer applica-tions.Telephone +43-1-2060-21770;E-Mail:[email protected].

Ms. BRUMMER DanielaTritium measurements.Telephone:+43-1-2060-21762;E-Mail: [email protected]. GATTIN, Mira, Stable isotope

massb spectrometry.Telephone:+43-1-2060-21765;E-Mail: [email protected].

Mr. HAN, Liang-FengMethodological developments.Telephone:+43-1-2060-21759;E-Mail: [email protected].

Mr. JAKLITSCH, ManfredElectronics and computer applica-tions. Telephone:+43-1-2060-21768;E-Mail: [email protected].

Mr. SAMBANDAM, ChinmayaTritium analysis.Telephone:+43-1-2060-21762;E-Mail: [email protected].

Ms. SCHUESZLER, ChristineWater chemistry. Telephone:+43-1-2060-21764;E-Mail: [email protected].

Mr. TANWEER, Ahmad, Stable iso-tope mass spectrometry. Telephone+43-1-2060-21760;E-Mail:[email protected].

Mr. TATZBER, HerbertGas counting of C-14 and tritium.Telephone:+43-1-2060-21761;E-Mail:[email protected].



evelopment, field verificationand application of nuclear sci-

ence and technology in the overallspectrum of hydrological andh y d r o -e n g i n e e r i n gproblems en-countered inwater resourcesassessmen t ,deve lopmentand manage-ment has beenan integral partof the Agency'sp r o g r a m m esince its incep-tion in 1958,within theframework ofactivities re-lated to peace-ful applicationsof nuclear en-ergy. TheAgency hasbeen an inter-national focalpoint for re-search and development of nu-clear technologies in the watersector, for the dissemination ofinformation, and for providing as-sistance in wide scale applications.The field of "Isotope Hydrology" isnow internationally recognized asa scientific discipline within theoverall field of earth sciences.

The Agency's efforts in the watersector cover all aspects of thethree main categories of isotopemethodologies, such as the use ofradioactive isotopes as tracers forsite-specific investigations relatedto water movement; the use ofsealed radioactive sources for in-situ measurement of hydrologicalfield parameters; and the use ofnaturally occurring isotopic speciesfor the assessment and study ofwater occurrence, genesis andflow pathways/dynamics atregional-scale hydrological sys-tems. At present, substantial effortis being directed towards practical

A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENTS

use of proven methods in the Mem-ber States through the TechnicalCo-operation Programme; develop-ment and refinement of environ-mental isotope methodologiesthrough Co-ordinated ResearchProgrammes; and dissemination of

information through meetings, train-ing courses and seminars.

ssistance provided by theAgency in the field of isotope

hydrology through the TechnicalCo-operation programmes aimed atthe transfer of know-how and tech-nology, and the number of projectsimplemented during the last fourdecades have had a continuousincreasing trend to meet the needsand requirements of the MemberStates. The TC programme of theAgency in isotope hydrology coversa broad spectrum, involving appli-cations related to hydrogeologicalinvestigations of groundwater oc-currence, sub-surface flow, trans-port dynamics and hydraulic inter-actions (including geothermal sys-tems); applications in surface water

systems, including sediment trans-port and hydro-engineering prob-lems; and analytical and instrumen-tation techniques. The number ofTC projects in the field of hydrologyimplemented during the last fifteenyears is shown in Figure 1. A total

number of160 technicalco-operationprojects in 63c o u n t r i e shave beenimplementedin the last tenyears andcountries withindividual TCprojects areshown in Fig-ure 2. The re-quired humanresources de-velopment inthe MemberStates relatedto isotope hy-drology is be-ing supportedby trainingc o u r s e s ,

workshops and seminars; and theAgency's efforts in this regard duringthe last a few years are illustrated inFigure 3.

Support to research and develop-ment has been one of the majorcontribution, for example, Co-ordinated Research Programmes(CRP) implemented in specific fieldshave provided substantial impact onthe development and verification ofnew methodologies as well as re-finement of the existing applica-tions. The titles of the CRP's imple-mented and completed during thelast ten years are listed below.

Completed Co-ordinated Re-search Programmes

• Nuclear Techniques in the Studyof Pollutant Transport in the En-vironment

• Application of EnvironmentalIsotope Techniques in Ground-

1991-1995

1986-1990

1981-1985

0

50

100

Nu

mb

er o

f P

roje

cts

Fig. 1. IAEA Technical co-operation projects in Isotope Hydrology (1981-1995)



water Problems• Application of Isotope and

Geochemical Techniques inGeothermal Resources Explo-ration in Latin America

• Application of Isotope Tech-niques to Hydrology in theLatin American Region

• Comparison of Methods for"Age" Determination ofGroundwater Based on Decayof Long-lived Radioisotopes

• Dating of Old Groundwater• Isotope Techniques for the As-

sessment of Slow MovingDeep Groundwater and TheirPotential Application for theAssessment of Waste Dis-posal Sites

• Isotope Variations of CarbonDioxide and Other TraceGases in the Atmosphere

• Isotopes and Geochemistry inGeothermal Exploration inAfrica, Asia and the Pacific,and the Middle East

• Joint IAEA/GSF Programmefor Studying the Physical andIsotopic Behavior of Soil Mois-ture in the Zone of Aeration

• Mathematical Models forQuantitative Evaluation of Iso-tope Data in Hydrology

• Use of Nuclear Techniques inpalaeoclimatology - Continen-tal Isotope Indicators of Paleo-climate

Exchange of information throughAgency publications resulting fromspecific meetings, symposia orga-nized, CRP's and TC projects pro-vided vast amount of scientific andpractical information covering thewhole spectrum of isotopemethodologies. Some of the majorpublications produced by theAgency related to isotope hydrol-ogy are given in the following list.

Priced Publications

• Studies on Sulfur Isotope Vari-ations in Nature, 1987, Mono-graph;

• Isotope Techniques in WaterResources Development,1987, Proceedings of a sym-posium;

• Isotope Techniques in The

Fig. 2. Countries with National Technical Co-operation Projects from IAEA in Isotope Hydrology(1987-1997).

1993 1994 1995 19960

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1993 1994 1995 1996

No. of EventsDays of Act ivi tyNo. of Part icipants

Fig. 3. IAEA Training Courses, Workshops and Seminars in Isotope Hydrology (1993-1996).

• Environmental Isotope Data No.10: World Survey of IsotopeConcentration in Precipitation(1988-1991), 1994

• Isotopes in Water ResourcesManagement, 1996

Technical Documents(unpriced)

• Isotope Applications in Hydrol-ogy in Asia and the Pacific,1988;

• Isotope Hydrology Investiga-tions in Latin America, 1989;

• Isotope Methods in Environ-mental Studies, Hydrology andGeochemistry, 1990;

• Use of Artificial Tracers in Hy-drology, 1990;

Study of The Hydrology ofFractured and Fissured Rocks,1989, Monograph;

• Environmental Isotope DataNo. 9: World Survey of IsotopeConcentration in Precipitation(1984-1987), 1990, Series Pub-lication;

• Isotope Techniques in WaterResources Development 1991,1992;

• Statistical Treatment of Data onEnvironmental Isotopes in Pre-cipitation, 1992;

• Isotopes of Noble Gases asTracers in Environmental Stud-ies, 1992;

• Isotope Techniques in theStudy of Past and Current Envi-ronmental Changes in the Hy-drosphere and the Atmosphere,1993



• Geothermal Investigationswith Isotopes and Geochemi-cal Techniques in Latin Amer-ica, 1992;

• Nuclear Techniques in theStudy of Pollutant Transport inthe Environment. Interactionsof Solutes with Geological Me-dia (Methodological Aspects),1993;

• Water Resources in the Sahel:Hydrogeological and Hydro-logical Studies in West AfricaUsing Isotope Techniques (inFrench) 1993;

• Isotopic and Geochemical Pre-cursors of Earthquakes andVolcanic Eruptions, 1993;

• Mathematical Models and theirApplications to Isotope Studiesin Groundwater Hydrology,1994;

• Isotope Hydrology Investiga-tions in Latin America, 1994;

• Use of Nuclear Techniques inStudying Soil Erosion and Sil-tation, 1995;

• Reference and Inter-comparison Materials for Sta-ble Isotopes of Light Elements,1995;

• Isotope and GeochemicalTechniques Applied toGeothermal Investigations,1995;

of available freshwater resourcesand the need for more effectivemanagement practices to minimizethe adverse man-induced effects onwater resources, the Agency's pro-gramme component on"Development and Management ofWater Resources" will emphasizedevelopment and wider scale appli-cations of nuclear science and tech-nology in high priority areas includ-ing problems related to human im-pact on water resources, such asover-exploitation, water pollution in-cluding water salinization, impact ofurbanization on water resources(particularly urban hydrology ofmegacities), improved water re-sources management in waterscarce arid regions and isotope ap-plications related to climate changeand its impact on water resources.The overall activities supported andimplemented by the Agency will em-phasize a mandate of achieving avisible practical impact of nuclearscience and technology in the effec-tive management of water re-sources.

• Isotope Field Applications forGroundwater Studies in theMiddle East, 1996;

• Manual on Mathematical Mod-els in Isotope Hydrology, 1996.

t present, more than a quarterof the world's population lack

the basic need of a clean watersupply, and finite amounts of fresh-water resources are under severestress, both in terms of quantity andquality. The UN International Con-ference on "Water and Environ-ment" (Dublin, 1992) has reiteratedthat:

"Scarcity and misuse of fresh waterpose a serious and growing threatto sustainable development and theprotection of the environment; andhuman health and welfare, food se-curity, industrial development andthe eco-systems on which they de-pend are all at risk unless waterresources are managed more effec-tively in the present decade andbeyond than they have been in thepast."

In recognition of the utmost globalimportance of reliable assessment

ontributions from counterpartsin Member States and organi-

zations (institutes cooperating withthe Agency in the water and envi-ronment sector) are most welcomefor inclusion in the newsletter.Contributions could be for one ofthe following sectors for which thescope has been proposed as fol-lows.

Features publishes articles withviews & opinions, reviews of iso-tope hydrology and relevant pro-grammes, reviews of technologicaldevelopment.

Research & Development high-lights outcomes of CRPs com-pleted, scopes and objectives ofnew ones, suggestions and criti-cisms from participating institutesor chief investigators involved.

Technical Cooperation highlightsTC activities and major achieve-ments, views and opinions towardsthe implementation of the projectsfrom counterparts.

Training Activities reports ontraining activities completed, earlyinformation on planned new ones,views from trainees.

Scientific Highlights introducesnew approaches, achievementsand successful practical applica-tions or case studies in isotope hy-drology and related disciplines.

Letters to the editor reflects feed-back from readers, comments, criti-cisms and suggestions on thenewsletter.

Articles and reports must not ex-

ceed 2000 words (figures and tablesinclusive). Informative figures andtables are always encouraged to becombined with the text. An elec-tronic version accompanying thehard copy is preferred.

Contributions may be addressed to:

Water and Environment NewsIsotope Hydrology SectionInternational Atomic Energy AgencyP.O. Box 100, Wagramerstrasse 5A-1400, Vienna, AUSTRIATelephone: +43-1-2060-21733Fax:+43-1-20607E-Mail: [email protected]

TO WATER AND ENVIRONMENT NEWS



0 10 20 30 40

Africa

East Asia

West Asia

Europe

Latin America

Inter-regional

A complete description of theAgency’s sub-programme in iso-tope hydrology entitled“Development and Management ofWater Resources" for the 2-yearcycle of 1997-1998 can be foundon the inside front cover of thisnewsletter. In the following, a briefreview of current activities relatedto the projects “Human Impact onWater Resources” , “Water re-sources in Regions of WaterScarcity”, “Hydroclimatic Changesand Impact on Catchment and Sur-face Water Systems” and“Support to Technical CooperationProgrammes” will be given. Infor-mation on the Isotope HydrologyLaboratory’s involvement in thesub-programme, especially theproject “Analytical Services andQuality Assurance” will be pro-vided under a specific headline.

he co-ordinated research pro-gramme (CRP), which brings

together a group of related con-tracts and agreements with a con-crete research focus, is a commonform of implementation in terms ofresearch and development. Themain scopes and objectives of theoperational CRPs are as follows:

Isotope Techniques inGroundwater Pollution Studies(1994-1998)

to investigate by isotope tech-niques the various sources of pol-lution of groundwater, includingthe identification of pollutionsources, level of pollution, predic-tion of movement of pollutantsand possible control as well asmitigation of contamination.

Isotope Techniques in LakeDynamics Investigations(1994-1997)to foster the application of environ-mental isotope techniques in lake

gases such as carbon monoxide andpossibly krypton and radon) in theglobal ecosystem through observa-tions of temporal and spatial vari-ability of their isotopic compositionat selected locations, combined withrelevant modeling work.

Isotope-Based Assessment ofGroundwater Renewal and Re-lated Anthropogenic Effects inWater Scarce Areas (1995-1998)Isotope-based determination ofrecharge and discharge regime ofaquifers in selected regions of waterscarce areas in the Middle East,Africa and several areas of Asia andLatin America, where an alarmingprognosis of depletion of availablewater resources has been made dueto population growth and intensiveuse of water for agricultural andother purposes.

Sedimentation Assessment Stud-ies by Environmental Radionu-clides and their Application toSoil Conservation Measures(1995-1998)to control the accelerated erosionand associated soil degradationthrough development of relevanttechnologies for measuring soil ero-

studies, in order to assess in asystematic way their potential andlimitations. Studies related to lakewater and chemical balance, lakewater dynamics, particle and dis-solved solid dynamics (includingcontaminants), sediment dynamics,and palaeolimnological studies aresupported.

Isotope Techniques in WaterResources Investigations inArid and Semi-Arid Regions(1994-1997)to focus on topics such as saliniza-tion and irrigation return flux, andaquifer vulnerability to diffusive pol-lution in order to improve the as-sessment of groundwater resourcesin terms of their replenishment andprotection towards more efficientmanagement and sustainable de-velopment of groundwater re-sources in arid and semi-arid re-gions.

Isotope-Aided Studies of Atmo-spheric Carbon Dioxide andOther Greenhouse Gases -Phase 2 (1995-1998)to understand the behavior of majorgreenhouse gases (carbon dioxideand methane, and some other trace

Fig. 4. Regional Distribution of Operational Technical Co-operation Projects.



sion and siltation using fallout andother cosmogenic radionuclidesand the generation of reliable ero-sion data in various agro-ecosystems and land uses using137Cs and other radionuclides.

The Application of IsotopeTechniques to the Assessmentof Aquifer Systems in MajorUrban Areas (1997-1999)to assess the usefulness of se-lected geochemical and isotopetechniques in addressing the iden-tified assessment needs of aquifersystems located in urban areas.These new methodologies, whichin some cases provide unique in-formation, should be further devel-oped and tested under differenthydrological and climatic condi-tions.

The Use of Isotope Techniquesin Investigating Acidic Fluidsin Geothermal Exploitation(1997-1999)to improve the application of 34Sand 18O in aqueous SO=

4, togetherwith 18O and 2H in water to fieldinvestigations in geothermal en-ergy development. Emphasis isplaced on the investigation of theorigin of acidic fluids in geothermalsystems by the use of isotope tech-niques integrated with geochemi-cal tools. Studies are also sup-ported towards better applicationof the SO=

4-H2O geothermometryfor estimating temperatures anddetecting various reservoir pro-cesses due to exploitation.

Use of Isotopes for Analyses ofFlow and Transport Dynamicsin Groundwater Systems(1995-1998)to assess the applicability of exist-ing conceptual model formulationsto field cases through intercompar-ison of results from different modelformulations on actual test casesin order to identify the most effi-cient modeling procedures for ap-plication of isotopes in studies re-lated to pollutant transport simula-

12%

6 %

14%

8 %36%

6 %

18%Surface WaterDynamicsSurface WaterPollutionSedimentology

Laboratory

Ground WaterResourcesGround WaterPollutionGeothermal

Fig. 5. Topical Distribution of Operational Technical Co-operation Projects.

%), three in Europe (4%), and 2inter-regional (3%). This reflects therelatively high demand for technicalassistance from Latin Americancountries in the water sector (Figure4).

The distribution of topic areas of theprojects, on the other hand, showsthat a large portion of technical as-sistance is in the application of iso-tope hydrology methodologies togroundwater and geothermal stud-ies, which together take up 54% ofthe total projects; the rest are in theorder from high to low according tothe number of projects: sedimentol-ogy (14%), surface water dynamics(12%), surface and groundwater pol-lution (12%), and laboratory activitydominated ones (8%) (Figure 5).

raining courses held recentlyare listed below.

Completed Training Courses• National Training Course on Iso-

tope Techniques in the Unsatu-rated Zone 1-8 April, 1996, Ra-bat, Morocco

• Regional Training Course onAdvanced Applications of Iso-tope Techniques to Water Re-sources Development, 27 Mayto 7 June, 1996, Lushan, China

• Regional Training Course on the

tion in groundwater for water qualitymanagement, pollution control andhydrogeological assessment ofwaste-sites (toxic or nuclear).

Isotope Techniques for the As-sessment of Slow Moving DeepGroundwater and Their Rela-tion to Waste Disposal Sites(1997-1999)to understand groundwater move-ment in low permeable strata inorder to assist the planning of ra-dioactive waste disposal sites. Iso-tope investigations will be carriedout on water extracted from drillcores due to poor availability of freegroundwater samples.

n the appraisal of new TC projectproposals for the 1997-1998 pro-

gramme, due consideration wasgiven to assigning higher priority tothose proposals with an immediatepractical impact on the assessment/management of water resources.

There are sixty-eight Technical Co-operation Projects on isotope hy-drology currently operational.Among these projects, thirty-threeare in Latin America (49%), fifteenin Asia (22%), fifteen in Africa (22



Application of Nuclear Tech-niques in Studies of Intercon-nection Between Surface andUnderground Waters, 2-13September 1996, Santiago,Chile

• Regional Training Course onthe Application of Isotope andGeochemical Techniques toReservoir Management inGeothermal Areas in LatinAmerica, 23 September to 1October 1996, El Salvador

• Regional Training Course onthe Use of Isotope Techniquesin Water Resources Develop-ment and Management, 11 -29November, 1996, Rabat, Mo-rocco

of isotope techniques in comprehen-sive approaches directed towardsefficient water resources manage-ment, and to encourage co-operation at the national level andbetween United Nations organiza-tions involved in the water sector. Inparticular, some additional meetingsare planned in which senior man-agement from national water institu-tions will participate to assess thefindings of isotope-aided field inves-tigations and their implications forwater resources development pro-grammes.

A group fellowship training in iso-tope hydrology is being held from 1September to 31 October, 1997.Another training course entitled“Analytical techniques and qualityassurance in environmental isotopeanalysis” will be held in 1998.

Regular budget resources havebeen increased by about 2.4% in1997 to allow for additional tasks toenhance the impact of isotope ap-plications to end users in the watersector of developing MemberStates.

Activities have been restructured toemphasize the need for integration

he Isotope Hydrology Labora-tory, located at the IAEA

Headquarters in Vienna, plays asubstantial role in the dissemina-tion of knowledge about state-of-the-art analytical techniques in iso-tope hydrology.

The laboratory, employing a staffof ten specialists (see the “who iswho” sector of this issue) andequipped with advanced analyticalfacilities (Table 1), is engaged inthe analysis of stable isotope ratiosof hydrogen, oxygen and carbon inwater and solid materials, in low-level radioactivity counting of tri-tium and 14C, in analysis of waterchemistry, and in measurementsof CFCs in water and air.

Various sample preparation meth-ods are available for the differentscopes of investigations and therequired analytical precision.Those methods are continuouslyupgraded and improved to main-tain a high level of analytical per-formance.

Over the years, isotope hydrologylaboratories in 42 Member Stateswere installed or upgraded with thetechnical assistance of IAEA(Figure 6) and a significant contri-bution was made by the technicalexpertise of the IAEA Isotope Hy-drology Laboratory through expert

missions and technical assistance.

Special emphasis is put on trainingin analytical quality assurance forstaff of these laboratories. Eachyear scientists from IAEA MemberStates are trained in the variousanalytical methods to enable themto successfully operate these labo-ratories at high quality standards.

The IAEA Isotope Hydrology Labo-ratory provides analytical servicesto Technical Cooperation projectsin those Member States without es-tablished national isotope hydrologylaboratories through measurement

of several thousands of sampleseach year for about 50 differentprojects worldwide (Table 2).

The provision of reference materialsfor isotope hydrology laboratories isa further major part of the activitiesof the Isotope Hydrology Laboratory.Through the establishment of inter-nationally accepted quality assur-ance standards in the IAEA labora-tories following the ISO 9000 guide-lines, the Isotope Hydrology Labora-tory will intensify its services as areference laboratory and will furtherpromote the use of quality assur-ance schemes in laboratories work-

Fig. 6. Countries with Isotope Hydrology Laboratories Assisted by the IAEA.



ing in the field of isotope hydrol-ogy.An Isotope Hydrology database isunder development, which is in-tended to provide easy access to allrelevant hydrogeological data andisotope analysis results within IAEATechnical Cooperation projects. Thisdatabase will be implemented on anSQL server and will considerably fa-cilitate the availability of results offormer studies and other researchprojects.

The software will also be available fornational counterparts to initiate com-patible databases in the field of iso-tope hydrology on an internationalscale.

Table 1. Analytical capability of the IAEA Isotope Hydrology Laboratory

Equipment Quantity Type DutyMass Spectrometers 4 Self-made MS 8O, 13C

Finnigan MAT250 2HFinnigan MAT251 2HFinnigan Delta+ 2H, 18O, 13C

Liquid Scintillation Analyzers 5 Kontron 3HAloka 3H

Packard 1550 3HPackard 2000 3HPackard 2770 3H

Proportional Gas Counters 4 Cu Tubes, QuartzTubes

3H, 14C

Gas Chromatographs 2 Carlo-Erba 6000 + TCD Natural GasComposition

Shimatsu 8A + ECD+ Sample Preparation

CFCs in Waterand Air

ICP Emission Spectrometer 1 Perkin-Elmer Plasma400

Water Chem-istry

Ion Chromatograph 1 Dionex Dx-100 Water Chem-istry

UV/VIS Photospectrometer 1 Perkin-Elmer Lambda2S

Water Chem-istry

Sample Preparation Lines 9 H2-Zinc Reduction 2H in WaterH2-Equilibration 2H in Water

CO2-Equilibration 18O, 13C in Wa-ter

H2/CO2-Equilibration 2H, 18O, 13C inWater

CaCO3 Acid Reaction 18O, 13C in Car-bonate

SO4-Reduction 18O in Sulfate2 Tritium Electrolytic

Enrichment Lines

3H in Water

Air Moisture Extraction 3H, 2H, 18OSoil Moisture Extraction 3H, 2H, 18O

Type of Analyses Number of Samples

Tritium (3H) 1200

Hydrogen Isotope Ratios (2H/H) 3000

Oxygen Isotope Ratios (18 O/16 O) 3000

Carbon Isotope Ratios (13 C/12 C) 30014 C 150

Water Chemistry 150

CFC Just Started

Table 2. Approximate Number of Samples Analyzed perYear in the Isotope Hydrology Laboratory



hanges in the atmosphere areheavily influenced by human

activities. Assessment of suchchanges is greatly benefited byexamining historical recordsthrough isotope measurements inice cores and sediments, for ex-ample. To examine the distinctrole that isotopes can play in un-derstanding complex processes af-fecting climate changes, the IAEAconvened the International Sym-posium on Isotope Techniques inthe Study of Past and Current En-vironmental Changes in the Hydro-sphere and the Atmosphere 14-18April 1997 in Vienna.

In opening the symposium, IAEADirector General Hans Blix ex-pressed concern over the increas-ing concentration of noxious gasessuch as SO2, NOx and CO2 fromthe burning of fossil fuels. Hementioned that nuclear power iseconomically feasible and at pre-sent meets 17% of the world'sdemand for electricity. It is free ofthe air polluting gases that

such as deep ice cores, palaeowaterand lake deposits - are prerequisitesfor any successful reconstruction ofpast climates and environmentalchanges. Only this knowledge canlead to a quantitative understandingof what might happen in the nearfuture. The information, therefore,enables forecasting of the impactson forest ecosystems, desertifica-tion, and water resources, as well asthe possible occurrence of floodsand droughts.

It was also clear from the sympo-sium that isotope methodologies areessential for precise determinationof the atmospheric budget of green-house gases, especially theirsources and sinks, to enable predic-tion and identification of the impactof climate change. The proceedingsof the symposium are being pub-lished by the IAEA.

threaten the global climate. He alsounderlined that programmes of theIAEA on isotope hydrology are help-ing countries to assess, more fullyunderstand, and manage their wa-ter resources, especially where theyare affected by environmentalchanges.

The symposium brought together180 scientists representing 46Member States, the United NationsEducational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO), the Foodand Agriculture Organization(FAO), the World MeteorologicalOrganization (WMO), the WorldClimate Research Programme(WCRP), and the InternationalGeosphere-Biosphere Programme(IGBP).

In all, 65 scientific papers and 59posters were presented reflectingscientific efforts towards determin-ing changes in the atmosphere andglobal ecosystems and to identifyanthropogenic influences. Isotopicmeasurements in natural archives -

he Agency has establishedclose collaboration with gov-

ernmental and non-governmentalorganizations in the field of isotopehydrology, in which special em-phasis was placed on activitiesrelated to cooperation with UN-ESCO and WMO. The ongoingInternational Hydrology Pro-gramme (IHP) of UNESCO andthe Operational Hydrology Pro-gramme (OHP) of WMO are twomain international scale projects ofspecific relevance for enhancingthe incorporation of isotopemethodologies into regional andinternational programmes on waterand environment.

As priority areas for the collabora-tion between IAEA and UNESCOwithin the scope of IHP-V , threemain themes were identified: Sedi-mentation processes in reservoirsand delta areas, the role of unsatu-rated zone processes in groundwa-

ter quality, and water resources as-sessment in arid and semi-aridzones. In this regard the Agencywill be supporting isotope method-ologies to be incorporated into theplan of implementation of two newUNESCO regional projects in aridzones related to "Wadi Hydrology"and "Groundwater Protection".

The collaboration with WMO withintheir programme on “OperationalHydrology” will be strengthened inthe following areas, also included inthe Agency’s programme on Devel-opment and Management of WaterResources: water pollution, ground-water modeling, monitoring of natu-ral and artificial recharge to aquifers(particularly in arid regions), anduse of general circulation models topredict changes in hydrologicalregimes. Steps were taken during1996 to further strengthen the oper-ation of the Global Network for“Isotopes in precipitation” (GNIP). A

Memorandum of Understanding de-scribing the operational aspects, thecommitments of the parties and le-gal aspects of their cooperation, hasbeen elaborated. The Memorandumof Understanding is aimed at ensur-ing the continuity of the operation ofthe Network and the active involve-ment of IAEA, WMO, and other or-ganizations (IGBP-PAGES andWCRP) supporting the further de-velopment of the Network and themultidisciplinary use of its database.

Initiatives were also undertaken tocooperate with other internationalscientific organizations in the imple-mentation of the Agency’s pro-gramme on water resources, in par-ticular the International Committeeon Tracers (ICT) of the InternationalAssociation of Hydrological Sci-ences (IAHS).



1997

IAEA MEETINGS

1 September - 31 October, Vienna,AustriaGroup fellowship training in iso-tope hydrology, Inter-regionalTraining Course (ITC).

6-9 October, Vienna, AustriaIsotope techniques in water re-source investigations in arid andsemi-arid regions (RCM)

21-23 October, Vienna, AustriaUse of isotope techniques in inves-tigating acidic fluids in geothermalexploitation (RCM)

28-31 October, Vienna, AustriaIsotope techniques in studying dy-namics of slow moving groundwa-ter for the hydrological appraisal ofradioactive waste disposal sites,Research Coordination Meeting(RCM)

3-7 November, Vienna, AustriaPotential of isotope methods forwater resources management inmajor urban areas, AdvisoryGroup Meeting (AGM)

2-5 December, Vienna, AustriaIsotope techniques in groundwaterpollution studies (RCM)

8-12 December, Vienna, AustriaIsotope-based assessment of

and their Application to Soil Conser-vation Measures (1995-1998).

Use of Isotopes for Analyses of Flowand Transport Dynamics in Ground-water Systems (1995-1998).

The Application of Isotope Tech-niques to the Assessment of AquiferSystems in Major Urban Areas(1997-1999)

OTHER MEETINGS

16-19 February, Christchurch, NewZealandSPERA98, Environmental Radioac-tivity and its Application in Environ-mental Studies

April, London, UKPAGES Open Science Meeting

13-17 July, Vienna, AustriaDescriptive, Qualitative and Quanti-tative Approaches in Soil Erosionand Sediment Transport

16-19 November, Abidjan, Coted'lvoireHydrological Changes in Africa

16-18 December, Hong Kong, China International Symposium on RiverSedimentation Environmental Hy-draulics

groundwater renewal and relatedanthropogenic effects in waterscarce areas (RCM)

OTHER MEETINGS

29 September- 3 October, Vienna,Austria18th Session of the UN ACC Sub-committee on Water Resources

1998

IAEA MEETINGS

9-13 March, Vienna, AustriaWorkshop on isotope-based envi-ronmental investigations in theCaspian Sea (International Year ofthe Ocean)

RCMs to be held for the followingCRPs:Isotope Techniques in GroundwaterPollution Studies” (1994-1998).

Isotope-Aided Studies of Atmo-spheric Carbon Dioxide And OtherGreenhouse Gases - Phase 2(1995-1998).

Isotope-Based Assessment ofGroundwater Renewal and RelatedAnthropogenic Effects in WaterScarce Areas (1995-1998).

Sedimentation Assessment Studiesby Environmental Radionuclides

he proceedings of a sympo-sium on “Isotopes in Water

Resources Management” orga-nized by IAEA in co-operation withUNESCO and held in Vienna, 20-24 March 1995, have recentlybeen published by IAEA.

The main topics addressed in thetwo-volume book are water re-sources management, with em-phasis on origin and recharge ofgroundwater, groundwater dynam-ics and pollution, modeling ap-

proaches, geothermal and palae-owater re-sources. The remainingdiscussions were concerned withsurface water and sediments, un-saturated zones and methodologi-cal aspects.

The proceedings contain the papersof 43 oral presentations and theextended synopses of over 100poster presentations.



home page on the Global Network for Iso-topes in Precipitation (GNIP) was created

(Figure 7) and put on the WWW in 1995, associ-ated with a database accessible to the net users.The Web site is http://www.iaea.or.at/programs/ri/gnip/gnipmain.htm.

Both the data and the format have been updated.A new version of the database is being preparedand will be ready for visits soon (Figure 8).According to recent statistics, the home page isvisited about 200 times per month by usersworldwide. Welcome to GNIP on the Internet!

In addition to this, a brochure focused on theGNIP has been published recently by IAEA,IGBP-PAGES, WMO and IAHS. Isotopes in thewater molecule are described as an“indispensable tool for understanding both pastchanges and present behavior of global circula-tion” in the study on the water cycle.

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Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP)

Fig. 8. Map of the world showing the location of GNIP stations

Fig. 7. GNIP home page.

Water and Environment News, Isotopr Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer-strasse 5, P.O.Box 100, A-1400, Vienna, Austria. Printed by IAEA in Vienna

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