Radon 222 and Tritium in the identification and quantification of NAPL contamination in ground water. 1. Theoretical principles

This is the first of two papers presenting the basic concepts and the main results of the application of environmental Rn222and Tritium in the identification and quantification of Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids contamination of Cuban ground waters and their relation with sea water intrusion and/or spills of produced waters. The interpretation technique is based on the partition properties of the tracers involved and in the geochemical affinity of some major and minor constituents of the ground waters occurring beneath the exploration and production facilities of the Northern Havana-Matanzas Heavy Oil Belt. The second paper in this series discusses several cases of interaction among the fresh water aquifer, the sea, the sea water-fresh water interface and oil contamination