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Dutheil P, Paatero J, Rodushkin I, Sundström T, Leppänen AP, Salminen-Paatero S. 137Cs and isotopic ratios of Pu and U in lichens and mosses from Russian Arctic areas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:76769-76783. [PMID: 37247140 PMCID: PMC10299934 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27795-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of past anthropogenic sources of radionuclide contamination in Russian Arctic areas is important to assess the radioecological situation of these less-studied regions. Therefore, we investigated the sources of radionuclide contamination in Russian Arctic in the 1990s. Lichen and moss samples were collected from 1993 to 1996 in Kola Peninsula, Franz Josef Land, and few other locations. The activity concentration of 137Cs was determined from the archived samples by gamma spectrometry in 2020. After radiochemical separation of Pu and U isotopes from the lichens and mosses, mass ratios 240Pu/239Pu, 234U/238U, 235U/238U, and 236U/238U were determined by mass spectrometry. 137Cs activity concentrations at the sampling date were found to vary from 3.1 ± 1.4 (Inari, Finnish-Russian border) to 303 ± 7 (Kola Peninsula) Bq/kg. The ranges of isotopic ratios were 0.0592 ± 0.0007 to 0.253 ± 0.082 for 240Pu/239Pu, (4.89 ± 3.91) × 10-5 to (6.86 ± 0.04) × 10-5 for 234U/238U, 0.0072104(21) to 0.007376(41) for 235U/238U, and from below 1 × 10-7 to (2.65 ± 0.19) × 10-6 for 236U/238U, respectively. Based on the measured isotopic ratios and characteristic isotopic ratios of known contamination sources, the main Pu and U sources in the sampled lichens and mosses are global fallout, the Chernobyl accident, and possibly local nuclear activities. These results contribute to further understanding of past nuclear events and resulting nuclear contamination in Russian Arctic terrestrial areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dutheil
- Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Radiation Safety and Security, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, CH-5232, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Jussi Paatero
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Timo Sundström
- Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ari-Pekka Leppänen
- Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority-STUK, Lähteentie 2, 96460, Rovaniemi, Finland
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Diacre A, Chalaux Clergue T, Burban S, Gauthier C, Hubert A, Humbert AC, Lefevre I, Fauré AL, Pointurier F, Evrard O. Temporal evolution of plutonium concentrations and isotopic ratios in the Ukedo - Takase Rivers draining the Difficult-To-Return zone in Fukushima, Japan (2013-2020). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 319:120963. [PMID: 36587785 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In 2011, the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident released significant quantities of radionuclides into the environment. Japanese authorities decided to progressively reopen the Difficult-To-Return Zone after the decontamination of priority reconstruction zones. These areas include parts of the initially highly contaminated municipalities located to the north of the FDNPP, including Namie Town, an area drained by the Ukedo and Takase Rivers. Eleven years after the accident, research focused on the spatial distribution of plutonium (Pu) and radiocesium (Cs) isotopes at contrasted individual locations. To complement previous results, the current research was conducted on flood sediment deposits collected at the same locations after major flooding events during eleven fieldwork campaigns organised between 2013 and 2020 at the outlet of the Ukedo and Takase Rivers (n = 22). The results highlighted a global decrease of the Pu and 137Cs contents in sediment with time during the abandonment phase in the region, from 2013 (238.20 fg g-1) to 2020 (4.28 fg g-1). Furthermore, based on the analysis of the 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratios, the plutonium transiting these rivers (range: 0.166 - 0.220) essentially originated from the global fallout (0.180 ± 0.014 (Kelley et al., 1999)). Sediment showed contrasted properties in the two investigated rivers, which is likely mainly the result of the occurrence of Ogaki Dam on upper sections of the Ukedo River as it strongly impacts the material supply from this river to the Pacific Ocean. A statistical analysis highlighted the strong correlation between Pu activity concentrations and 137Cs activities in both rivers, confirming that both radionuclides are transported with a similar pathway. Despite it was detected early after the accident (2011-2013), the current research demonstrates that plutonium originating from FDNPP is no longer detected in these rivers draining the Difficult-To-Return Zone at the onset of the reopening of the area to its former inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Diacre
- Commissariat à L'Energie Atomique et Aux énergies Alternatives (CEA, DAM, DIF), F-91297, Arpajon, France; Laboratoire des Sciences Du Climat et de L'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA/CNRS/UVSQ), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Thomas Chalaux Clergue
- Laboratoire des Sciences Du Climat et de L'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA/CNRS/UVSQ), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Soazig Burban
- Commissariat à L'Energie Atomique et Aux énergies Alternatives (CEA, DAM, DIF), F-91297, Arpajon, France
| | - Caroline Gauthier
- Laboratoire des Sciences Du Climat et de L'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA/CNRS/UVSQ), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Amélie Hubert
- Commissariat à L'Energie Atomique et Aux énergies Alternatives (CEA, DAM, DIF), F-91297, Arpajon, France
| | - Anne-Claire Humbert
- Commissariat à L'Energie Atomique et Aux énergies Alternatives (CEA, DAM, DIF), F-91297, Arpajon, France
| | - Irène Lefevre
- Laboratoire des Sciences Du Climat et de L'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA/CNRS/UVSQ), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Anne-Laure Fauré
- Commissariat à L'Energie Atomique et Aux énergies Alternatives (CEA, DAM, DIF), F-91297, Arpajon, France
| | - Fabien Pointurier
- Commissariat à L'Energie Atomique et Aux énergies Alternatives (CEA, DAM, DIF), F-91297, Arpajon, France
| | - Olivier Evrard
- Laboratoire des Sciences Du Climat et de L'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA/CNRS/UVSQ), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Romanenko V, Lujanienė G. Short review of plutonium applications for the sediment transport studies. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2023; 257:107066. [PMID: 36395679 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.107066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The transport of sediments in surface waters is a natural process involving the relocation of the sediments themselves and the nutrients, pollutants and radionuclides associated with them. Plutonium isotopes have proven to be a useful tool for studying this process over several decades. In this article, we review the characteristics of the behaviour of plutonium in the water column and the main directions of its use to study the transport of sediments at different scales. The characteristic isotopic fingerprints of the sources and their known input functions, as well as the good reactivity of the particles, favour the widespread use of plutonium for the study of the chronology of sediments and deposits and for studies of the fate and migration pathways of sediments at different scales. While other radionuclides are losing relevance due to the short half-life the 239Pu and 240Pu will remain useable for a long time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitaliy Romanenko
- State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology Public Institution, Savanorių ave. 231, LT-02300, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Galina Lujanienė
- State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology Public Institution, Savanorių ave. 231, LT-02300, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Morereau A, Jaegler H, Hain K, Steier P, Golser R, Beaumais A, Lepage H, Eyrolle F, Grosbois C, Cazala C, Gourgiotis A. Deciphering sources of U contamination using isotope ratio signatures in the Loire River sediments: Exploring the relevance of 233U/ 236U and stable Pb isotope ratios. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 307:135658. [PMID: 35835235 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A broad range of contaminants has been recorded in sediments of the Loire River over the last century. Among a variety of anthropogenic activities of this nuclearized watershed, extraction of uranium and associated activities during more than 50 years as well as operation of several nuclear power plants led to industrial discharges, which could persist for decades in sedimentary archives of the Loire River. Highlighting and identifying the origin of radionuclides that transited during the last decades and were recorded in the sediments is challenging due to i) the low concentrations which are often close or below the detection limits of routine environmental surveys and ii) the mixing of different sources. The determination of the sources of anthropogenic radioactivity was performed using multi-isotopic fingerprints (236U/238U, 206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/207Pb) and the newly developed 233U/236U tracer. For the first time 233U/236U data in a well-dated river sediment core in the French river Loire are reported here. Results highlight potential sources of contamination among which a clear signature of anthropogenic inputs related to two accidents of a former NUGG NPP that occurred in 1969 and 1980. The 233U and 236U isotopes were measured by recent high performance analytical methods due to their ultra-trace levels in the samples and show a negligible radiological impact on health and on the environment. The determination of mining activities by the use of stable Pb isotopes is still challenging probably owing to the limited dissemination of the Pb-bearing material marked by the U-ore signature downstream to the former U mines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Morereau
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRTA, SEDRE/LELI, BP 3, 13115, Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - Hugo Jaegler
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRTA, SEDRE/LELI, BP 3, 13115, Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - Karin Hain
- Faculty of Physics, Isotope Physics, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Steier
- Faculty of Physics, Isotope Physics, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robin Golser
- Faculty of Physics, Isotope Physics, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Aurélien Beaumais
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRTA, SEDRE/LELI, BP 3, 13115, Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - Hugo Lepage
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRTA, SEDRE/LELI, BP 3, 13115, Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - Frédérique Eyrolle
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRTA, SEDRE/LELI, BP 3, 13115, Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - Cécile Grosbois
- Université de Tours, EA 6293 Géohydrosystèmes Continentaux (GéHCO), Parc de Grandmont, 37200, Tours, Cedex, France
| | - Charlotte Cazala
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRTA, SEDRE/LELI, BP 3, 13115, Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
| | - Alkiviadis Gourgiotis
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRTA, SEDRE/LELI, BP 3, 13115, Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance, France.
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Wu J, Zheng X, Chen J, Yang G, Zheng J, Aono T. Distributions and impacts of plutonium in the environment originating from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident: An overview of a decade of studies. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 248:106884. [PMID: 35398758 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews the current knowledge on plutonium (Pu) isotopic composition (the atom or activity ratios) and activity concentrations of 238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu, and 241Pu resulting from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in 2011. In this critical review, we document the characteristic values of Pu atom or activity ratios (fingerprints) and present their spatial distributions around the FDNPP site. Based on multiple Pu fingerprints (238Pu/239+240Pu activity ratio, 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio, and 241Pu/239Pu atom ratio), we clarify that Pu contamination from the FDNPP accident occurred in a restricted terrestrial area, while Pu in the Northwest Pacific Ocean is still predominately sourced from the Pacific Proving Grounds (PPG) and global fallout. Using a simple two end-member mixing model, we calculate average contributions of Pu from the FDNPP accident of 13 ± 20% (n = 180) in soil samples, 55 ± 32% (n = 38) in leaf litter samples, and 67 ± 26% (n = 129) in air dust/black substances. In the marine environment, the PPG source average contributions are 45 ± 15% (n = 76) in seawater and 42 ± 12% (n = 48) in sediments. The spatial distributions of Pu atom or activity ratios based on existing studies suggest that: 1) in the terrestrial region investigated 80 km northwest of the FDNPP site, the Pu contamination is mainly observed in an area within a 50 km distance, and 2) in the terrestrial region investigated 60 km southwest of the FDNPP site, the Pu contamination is mainly observed in an area within a 30 km distance. Studies of Cs-bearing radioactive particles indicate that Pu occurs as Pu oxide, and the fuel fragments containing Pu that were released from the reactors to the surrounding environment are associated with micron-scale Cs-bearing radioactive particles. We note that the fractionation between Pu and other radionuclides occurred after release. These new findings about the Pu fingerprints around the FDNPP site will help researchers to establish a reference background database for future environmental risk assessment and geochemical study there.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwen Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention & Institute of Marine Sciences, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, 511458, China
| | - Xuemin Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention & Institute of Marine Sciences, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Jisheng Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention & Institute of Marine Sciences, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Guosheng Yang
- National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Jian Zheng
- National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
| | - Tatsuo Aono
- National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
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Funaki H, Tsuji H, Nakanishi T, Yoshimura K, Sakuma K, Hayashi S. Remobilisation of radiocaesium from bottom sediments to water column in reservoirs in Fukushima, Japan. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 812:152534. [PMID: 34954177 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Reservoir sediments generally act as a sink for radionuclides derived from nuclear accidents, but under anaerobic conditions, several radionuclides remobilise in bioavailable form from sediments to water columns, which may contribute to the long-term contamination of aquatic products. This study systematically investigated the 137Cs activities of sediment-pore water, providing a direct evidence of the remobilisation of bioavailable 137Cs from sediments in two highly contaminated reservoirs affected by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. We observed that the dissolved 137Cs activity concentration of pore water (3.0-65.8 Bq L-1) was one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of reservoir water. Moreover, the distribution coefficient (Kd) values for the 137Cs of sediment-pore water (2.6-14 × 103 L kg-1) decreased with depth. The Kd values were significantly and negatively correlated with the concentration of the major 137Cs competing cation NH4+. Our results strongly indicate a competitive ion exchange process between 137Cs and NH4+ via a highly selective interaction with the frayed edge sites of phyllosilicate minerals, which is the major reason for the variability of Kd values of sediment-pore water, even in the Fukushima case. Additionally, the sediment accumulation rates were relatively high, and the annual depositional rate of exchangeable 137Cs prevailed over the annual diffusive flux of 137Cs from the sediment to the overlying water. This finding indicates that even after 10 years since the FDNPP accident, the bioavailable 137Cs is still continuously supplied from the catchment covered by mountainous forests, and reservoir sediments are a long-term important source of bioavailable 137Cs in the riverine system. Our findings provide important parameter values for mid- and long-term assessments of the radiation impact of radionuclide discharges to freshwater environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironori Funaki
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, Kaihama-sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima 975-0036, Japan.
| | - Hideki Tsuji
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu, Fukushima 963-7700, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nakanishi
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, Kaihama-sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima 975-0036, Japan
| | - Kazuya Yoshimura
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, Kaihama-sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima 975-0036, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Sakuma
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, Kaihama-sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima 975-0036, Japan
| | - Seiji Hayashi
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu, Fukushima 963-7700, Japan
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First study on 236U in environmental samples from Bangladesh by ICP-MS/MS prior to the operation of its first nuclear power plant. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-021-07931-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Shao Y, Yang G, Zhang J, Luo M, Ma L, Xu D. Progress and Application on the Analysis of Anthropogenic Radionuclide 236U. ACTA CHIMICA SINICA 2021. [DOI: 10.6023/a21020074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Shao Y, Yang G, Luo M, Xu D, Tazoe H, Yamada M, Ma L. Background and fingerprint characteristics of anthropogenic 236U and 137Cs in soil and road dust samples collected from Beijing and Zhangjiakou, China. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 263:127909. [PMID: 32822937 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
236U has attracted more attention as an environmental tracer in recent years. However, in-depth study of 236U in terrestrial environments is still rare in China. Data on 236U and 137Cs concentrations in soil and road dust samples collected from Beijing and Zhangjiakou, China were obtained to demonstrate the background and distinct characteristics of anthropogenic 236U and 137Cs. 236U and 137Cs were detected in the range of (1.10-7.90) × 107 atoms g-1 and below the method limits of detection to 5.30 Bq kg-1. A clear characteristic was observed in road dust, where 236U concentrations increased with decreasing of sample particle size. Soil samples showed an irregular characteristic, but the highest 236U concentrations were observed in particle size fraction of <0.053 mm in both samples. This phenomenon was caused by U chemical properties, higher specific surface areas and organic compounds in fine particles. Anthropogenic radionuclides fingerprint characteristics in <0.053 mm samples were specially discussed. 236U/238U atom ratios were detected in the range of (0.627-3.38) × 10-8. A weak correlation between anthropogenic 236U and natural U isotopes were observed. The intermediate correlation between 236U and 137Cs indicated somewhat distinct migration behavior of these two radionuclides in soil after release to the environment. The released amount of 236U from global fallout during the period of atmospheric nuclear weapons testing was roughly estimated to be 1300 ± 448 kg. These results could be used as fingerprint information for anthropogenic 236U migration behavior and tracer application in environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Shao
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan
| | - Guosheng Yang
- Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan; National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Min Luo
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Diandou Xu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hirofumi Tazoe
- Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Yamada
- Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan; Central Laboratory, Marine Ecology Research Institute, 300 Iwawada, Onjuku, Isumi, Chiba, 299-5105, Japan.
| | - Lingling Ma
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Nagaoka M, Fujita H, Aida TM, Guo H, Smith RL. Supercritical water pretreatment method for analysis of strontium and uranium in soil (Andosols). Appl Radiat Isot 2020; 168:109465. [PMID: 33218917 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Hydrothermal pretreatment of soils (Andosols) from Ibaraki prefecture (Japan) was used to improve methods for monitoring radioactive Sr and U. Calcined samples were pretreated with subcritical or supercritical water (SCW) followed by extraction with 0.5 M HNO3 solutions. With SCW pretreatment, recoveries of Sr and U were 70% and 40%, respectively. Experimental recoveries obtained can be described by a linear relationship in water density. The proposed method is robust and can lower environmental burden of routine analytical protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Nagaoka
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 4-33 Muramatsu, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1194, Japan
| | - Hiroki Fujita
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 4-33 Muramatsu, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1194, Japan
| | - Taku Michael Aida
- Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
| | - Haixin Guo
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, 6-6-11 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan
| | - Richard Lee Smith
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, 6-6-11 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan.
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11
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Funaki H, Sakuma K, Nakanishi T, Yoshimura K, Katengeza EW. Reservoir sediments as a long-term source of dissolved radiocaesium in water system; a mass balance case study of an artificial reservoir in Fukushima, Japan. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 743:140668. [PMID: 32673913 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Because of their large mobility and high bioavailability, it is necessary to elucidate the origins and dynamics of dissolved radionuclides in river and reservoir systems to assess the transfer of those radionuclides from water to crops and aquatic organisms. Elution from contaminated reservoir sediments, a potential source of dissolved radionuclides, presents a long-term concern, particularly for long-lived radionuclides. In this study, we systematically investigated caesium-137 (137Cs) concentrations using a time-series suite of input and output water samples collected from 2014 to 2019 from the Ogaki Dam Reservoir, which has a catchment with a high 137Cs inventory due to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. The results of our study showed that dissolved 137Cs concentration was significantly higher in the output water than that in the main input water, and that the effective ecological half-life of dissolved 137Cs in the output water was longer than in the main input water. We quantitatively evaluated the mass balance of dissolved 137Cs in the reservoir to elucidate how much dissolved 137Cs from the rivers and production from reservoir sediments contribute to 137Cs in the reservoir output. The annual output of dissolved 137Cs was significantly higher than the total input of dissolved 137Cs, with approximately 32%-40% of the dissolved 137Cs in the output water presumably being produced from reservoir sediments. Consequently, the estimated dissolved 137Cs fluxes from reservoir sediments to overlying water were 0.57-1.3 × 104 Bq m-2 y-1. This implies that approximately 0.04%-0.09% of 137Cs accumulated in the sediments was released through elution to the overlying water each year. Reservoir sediments containing high 137Cs levels may thus become even more important as sources of bioavailable dissolved 137Cs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironori Funaki
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, kaihama-sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima 975-0036, Japan.
| | - Kazuyuki Sakuma
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, kaihama-sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima 975-0036, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nakanishi
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, kaihama-sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima 975-0036, Japan
| | - Kazuya Yoshimura
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, kaihama-sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima 975-0036, Japan
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Zuykov M, Fowler SW, Archambault P, Spiers G, Schindler M. Practical advice on monitoring of U and Pu with marine bivalve mollusks near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 151:110860. [PMID: 32056642 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011, some marine radionuclide monitoring studies report a lack of evidence for contamination of Japanese coastal waters by U and Pu, or state that marine contamination by them was negligible. Nevertheless, Fukushima-derived U and Pu were reported as associated with Cs-rich microparticles (CsMPs) found in local soil, vegetation, and river/lake sediments. Over time, CsMPs can be transported to the sea via riverine runoff where actinides, as expected, will leach. We recommend establishing a long-term monitoring of U and Pu in the nearshore area of the Fukushima Prefecture using marine bivalve mollusks; shells, byssal threads and soft tissues should all be analyzed. Here, based on results from Th biosorption experiments, we propose that U and Pu could be present at concentrations several times higher in shells with a completely destroyed external shell layer (periostracum) than in shells with intact periostracum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Zuykov
- School of the Environment, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada.
| | - Scott W Fowler
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA
| | | | - Graeme Spiers
- School of the Environment, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Michael Schindler
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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Diez-Fernández S, Jaegler H, Bresson C, Chartier F, Evrard O, Hubert A, Nonell A, Pointurier F, Isnard H. A new method for determining 236U/238U isotope ratios in environmental samples by means OF ICP-MS/MS. Talanta 2020; 206:120221. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.120221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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