THE CONSTANCY IN THE RADIOACTIVITY OF CERTAIN 

 PHILIPPINE WATERS » 



By George W. Heise 



(From the Laboratory of General, Inorganic, and Physical Chemistry, 



Bureau of Science, Manila) 



Philippine springs and artesian wells frequently show great 

 variations in flow. Many of them are appreciably augmented 

 during the rainy season, and some, situated near the coast, flow 

 only at high tide. However, so far as noted, the chemical qua- 

 lity of deep-seated ground waters is not subject normally to 

 marked variations, in spite of great fluctuations in the quantity 

 of water. 2 This observation is in harmony with experience in 

 other countries." 



The statements regarding the variation in emanation content 

 of natural waters are somewhat confusing. Thus Ramsay * 

 reported an increased emanation content in certain springs 

 during periods of wet weather and great flow, whereas Steichen ' 

 observed an increase in the activity in certain Bombay hot 

 springs during the dry season, in a period of greatly reduced 

 flow. The latter investigator pointed out that local conditions 

 might well account for the differences noted. 



In a previous paper c it was pointed out that two determina- 

 tions of the radioactivity of Sibul Springs, one made during 

 the dry season, the other during a period of frequent rains, 

 indicated that, under certain conditions, the seasonal variations 

 might be very slight. Recently it has been found possible to 

 test this conclusion by further work both on Sibul Springs and 

 on a flowing artesian well. Apparatus, method, and limits of 

 accuracy were the some as those previously described. 7 The 

 results obtained are shown in Table I. 



1 Received for publication August, 1917. 



'Heise, G. W., This Journal, Sec. A (1916), 11, 125-7. 



a Hintz, F., and Kaiser, E., Zeitschr. f. prakt. Geol. (1915), 23, 122-6, 

 through Chem. Abst. (1916), 10, 1741. 



4 Ramsay, R., The variation of the emanation content of certain springs, 

 Phil. Mag. (1915), 30, 815-818. 



6 Steichen, A., The variation of the hot springs at Tuwa, Phil. Mag. 

 (1916), 31, 401-3. 



6 Wright, J. R., and Heise, G. W., The radioactivity of Philippine waters, 

 This Journal Sec. A (1917), 12, 145. 



7 Wright and Heise, op. cit. Heise, G. W., The radioactivity of the waters 

 of the mountainous region of northern Luzon, This Journal, Sec. A (1917), 

 12, No. 6. 



