18 years of continuous observation of tritium and atmospheric precipitations in Ramnicu Valcea (Romania): A time series analysis

Abstract

To get more information on the origin of tritium and to evidence any possible presence of anthropogenic sources, between January 1999 and December 2016, the precipitation level and tritium concentration were monthly recorded and investigated by the Cryogenic Institute of Ramnicu Valcea, Romania. Compared with similar data covering a radius of about 1200 km westward, the measurements gave similar results concerning the time evolution of tritium content and precipitation level for the entire time interval excepting the period between 2009 and 2011 when the tritium concentrations showed a slight increase, most probable due to the activity of neighboring experimental pilot plant for tritium and deuterium separation. Regardless this fact, all data pointed towards a steady tendency of tritium concentrations to decrease with an annual rate of about 1.4 ± 0.05%. The experimental data on precipitation levels and tritium concentrations form two complete time series whose time series analysis showed, at p < 0.01, the presence of a single one-year periodicity whose coincident maximums which correspond to late spring - early summer months suggest the existence of the Spring Leak mechanism with a possible contribution of the soil moisture remobilization during the warm period.