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Tserendorj D, Szabó KZ, Völgyesi P, Nguyen TC, Hatvani IG, Buczkó N, Abbaszade G, Salazar-Yanez N, Szabó C. Distribution and impacts of contamination by natural and artificial radionuclides in attic dust and urban soil samples from a former industrial Hungarian city: A case study from Salgótarján. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2023; 270:107291. [PMID: 37806188 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107291] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Primordial radionuclides can be found in all environmental compartments. Since coal-fired power plants (CFPP) can be a source of additional radionuclide contamination because coal contains natural radioactive isotopes such as 238U (226Ra) and 232Th. This study investigated the impact of such possible radionuclide contamination from former heavy industrial activities, namely a former local coal-fired power plant, in urban soils and attic dust in Salgótarján, Hungary. Even today, industrial by-products, e.g., coal ash, in this city represent significant threat to its residents. A total of 36 attic dust samples (family houses, kindergartens, churches and blockhouses) were collected and 19 urban soil samples (playgrounds, kindergartens, parks and others) were selected no further than 500 m from the corresponding attic dust sampling sites. Additionally, a coal ash and a brown forest soil sample were also collected to differentiate between the anthropogenic and geogenic sources in the residential area. The sampled houses, built between 1890 and 1990, are considered to be representative sampling sites for long-term accumulations of attic dust. The mean values of the total U, Th and Cs (mg kg-1) concentrations as well as those of K (m/m %) in attic dust and urban soil samples are 2.4, 3.6, 1.7 and 0.6 and 1.1, 4.4, 1.2 and 0.3, respectively, measured using ICP-MS. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in attic dust and urban soil samples are 43.3, 34.0, 534.4 and 88.5 and 25.1, 32.8, 386.4 and 5.6 Bq kg-1, respectively, by using a low-background iron chamber with a well-type HPGe and a n-type coaxial HPGe detector. The elemental compositions (U, Th) and activity concentrations (226Ra, 232Th) along with their abundances in coal ash from the CFPP increase in both studied media as the distance of the sampling sites from the CFPP decreases. Two outlier attic dust samples in particular show significantly high activity concentrations of 226Ra: 145 and 143, of 232Th: 83 and 94 Bq kg-1, which can be considered as a proxy of unweathered coal ash. The calculated total absorbed gamma dose rate (D) and annual effective dose (E) received from urban soils indicate that the presence of the CFPP, coal ash cone and slag dumps does not cause an increase in the level of background radiation in Salgótarján. However, the concentrations of the studied radionuclides are much higher (except for 232Th) and exhibit higher degree of variability in the samples of attic dustthan in those of urban soils. The study suggests that attic dust preserves the undisturbed 'fingerprints' of long-term atmospheric deposition thanks to its chemical and physical properties unlike urban soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davaakhuu Tserendorj
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary; Centre for Ecological Research Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Karolina út 29, 1113, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katalin Zsuzsanna Szabó
- Nuclear Security Department, HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, 1121, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Völgyesi
- Nuclear Security Department, HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, 1121, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tam Cong Nguyen
- Nuclear Security Department, HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, 1121, Budapest, Hungary
| | - István Gábor Hatvani
- Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Budaörsi út 45, 1112, Budapest, Hungary; CSFK, MTA Centre of Excellence, Konkoly Thege Miklós út 15-17, H-1121, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Noémi Buczkó
- Nuclear Analysis and Radiography Department, HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, 1121, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gorkhmaz Abbaszade
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nelson Salazar-Yanez
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csaba Szabó
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science, HUN-REN, Csatkai E. u. 6-8, 9400, Sopron, Hungary.
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Lukashenko SN, Edomskaya MA. Plutonium in the Environment: Sources, Dissemination Mechanisms, and Concentrations. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022110139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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Tserendorj D, Szabó KZ, Völgyesi P, Nguyen TC, Hatvani IG, Jánosi IM, Abbaszade G, Salazar-Yanez N, Szabó C. Activity concentration of 137Cs in undisturbed attic dust collected from Salgótarján and Ózd (northern Hungary). JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 251-252:106950. [PMID: 35797906 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106950] [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: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Due to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, contaminated air masses, containing 137Cs, were widely propagated across all of Europe. Cesium-137 is easily adsorbed on aerosol particles as it returns to the lithosphere/pedosphere/via wet and dry deposition in the form of a radioactive fallout component. Following the nuclear accident, primary attention was paid to agricultural areas and less to urban environments. Our 137Cs activity study using undisturbed attic dust samples has been carried out from two residential areas (city of Salgótarján and Ózd) in northern Hungary, approx. 1000 km away from Chernobyl. A total of 61 attic dust samples were collected in 2016 and 2018 from houses (>30 years) functioning as family house, kindergarten, blockhouse and church. Activity concentration of 137Cs was determined for 1-2 g homogenized (<125 μm) attic dust samples in a low background iron chamber with a well-type HPGe detector. The mean 137Cs activity concentrations in attic dust samples are 88.5 ± 5.1 Bq kg-1 and 87.8 ± 4.5 Bq kg-1 in Salgótarján and Ózd, respectively. The dependence between 137Cs activities and the age of the houses was found to be significant (p=0.02), which could be explained by Chernobyl nuclear accident-causing elevated activity concentrations in location built prior to the accident. Three outliers in Ózd (>223 Bq kg-1), are probably related to the first rainfall event after the Chernobyl accident. Isotopic landscapes (isoscapes) of 137Cs were derived for both cities by means of kriging interpolation. In Salgótarján the 137Cs activity concentrations were higher than in Ózd which might have been due to redistribution loadings and local topographical features. We concluded that components of attic dust are highly useful indicators of home exposure to pollution events and remain detectable after several decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davaakhuu Tserendorj
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katalin Zsuzsanna Szabó
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; Nuclear Security Department, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, 1121 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Völgyesi
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; Nuclear Security Department, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, 1121 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tam Cong Nguyen
- Nuclear Security Department, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, 1121 Budapest, Hungary
| | - István Gábor Hatvani
- Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Budaörsi út 45, 1112 Budapest, Hungary; CSFK, MTA Centre of Excellence, Budapest, Konkoly Thege Miklós út 15-17, 1121 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Imre Miklós Jánosi
- Department of Water and Environmental Policy, Faculty of Water Sciences, University of Public Service, Ludovika tér 2, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gorkhmaz Abbaszade
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nelson Salazar-Yanez
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csaba Szabó
- Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Csatkai E. u. 6-8, 9400, Sopron, Hungary.
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Edomskaya MA, Lukashenko SN, Stupakova GA, Kharkin PV, Gluchshenko VN, Korovin SV. Estimation of radionuclides global fallout levels in the soils of CIS and eastern Europe territory. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 247:106865. [PMID: 35316687 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106865] [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: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study is devoted to the estimation of radionuclides global fallout levels in the soils of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eastern Europe territory as a result of nuclear explosions. 58 standard soil samples were used, which were selected in different soil and climatic areas of the territory of CIS and Eastern Europe in 1978-2018. All samples were measured by gamma spectrometry. Determination of plutonium isotopes and strontium was performed according to the method of the joint determination of these radionuclides from one sample. IN the samples considered in this work, the content of 60Co, 154Eu, 155Eu was below the detection limits, which were 0.4; 1.0 and 1.0, respectively. Natural radionuclides analysis results indicated that the obtained samples are typical soil samples without its abnormal contents. The content of 137Cs, 90Sr, 239+240Pu in a 20 cm soil layer due to global fallout is (3.9 ± 1.7), (2.2 ± 0.8), (0.18 ± 0.08) Bq/kg respectively, which considering the distribution of these radionuclides by depth and average soil density is (1.2 ± 0.5) kBq/m2 for 137Cs, (0.42 ± 0.15) kBq/m2- 90Sr and (55.0 ± 24.0) Bq/m2- 239+240Pu. The isotopic ratios137Cs/90Sr and 137Cs/239+240Pu for the territory of CIS and Eastern Europe are at the level (2.0 ± 0.71) and (25 ± 15), respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Edomskaya
- Russian Institute of Radiology and Agroecology, Obninsk, Russia.
| | - S N Lukashenko
- Russian Institute of Radiology and Agroecology, Obninsk, Russia
| | - G A Stupakova
- Russian Institute of Agricultural Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - P V Kharkin
- The Institute of Nuclear Physics, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | | | - S V Korovin
- Russian Institute of Radiology and Agroecology, Obninsk, Russia
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Wang R, Fu Y, Lei L, Li G, Liu Z. Distribution and Source Identification of Pu in River Basins in Southern China. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:22646-22654. [PMID: 31909349 PMCID: PMC6941367 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b03650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The 239+240Pu activities and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios in surface sediments from the major river basins in southern China were analyzed to investigate the distribution and source of Pu. We clarified that the 239+240Pu activities in these river basins were very similar, however, only the 239+240Pu activities in the Jinjiang Basin were generally higher than other samples. Because of river transport function, the distribution of 239+240Pu activities in these river basins presented an increasing trend from the upstream region to the estuary. According to the 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios, the Pu source in the inner river basins might be from global fallout, and the Pu in river estuaries might be from the global fallout and the Pacific Proving Grounds (PPG) in the Marshall Islands. Using a mass balance of the Pu model, we quantified in the Pearl River Estuary and the Pu contribution from the Pearl River Basin to Pu inventory was 13 ± 5%. These data not only filled in a knowledge gap of Pu in these river basins but also served as background data for Pu contamination from a nuclear reactor. Also, there are several planned and operating nuclear power plants in these river basins and these data could provide some indications for dealing with nuclear accidents in different parts of river basins in the future. In this study, we also analyzed some factors that would affect the distribution of 239+240Pu activities; however, only total organic carbon (TOC) content and the heavy metal As had a positive correlation with the 239+240Pu activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruirui Wang
- State
Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological
and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation
Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yao Fu
- State
Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological
and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation
Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ling Lei
- State
Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological
and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation
Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Gang Li
- Key
Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute
of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China
| | - Zhiyong Liu
- State
Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological
and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation
Centre of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
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6
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Snow MS, Snyder DC. (135)Cs/(137)Cs isotopic composition of environmental samples across Europe: Environmental transport and source term emission applications. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 151 Pt 1:258-263. [PMID: 26540258 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
(135)Cs/(137)Cs isotopic analyses represent an important tool for studying the fate and transport of radiocesium in the environment; in this work the (135)Cs/(137)Cs isotopic composition in environmental samples taken from across Europe is reported. Surface soil and vegetation samples from western Russia, Ukraine, Austria, and Hungary show consistent aged thermal fission product (135)Cs/(137)Cs isotope ratios of 0.58 ± 0.01 (age corrected to 1/1/15), with the exception of one sample of soil-moss from Hungary which shows an elevated (135)Cs/(137)Cs ratio of 1.78 ± 0.12. With the exception of the outlier sample from Hungary, surface soil/vegetation data are in quantitative agreement with values previously reported for soils within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, suggesting that radiocesium at these locations is primarily composed of homogenous airborne deposition from Chernobyl. Seawater samples taken from the Irish Sea show (135)Cs/(137)Cs isotope ratios of 1.22 ± 0.11 (age corrected to 1/1/15), suggesting aged thermal fission product Cs discharged from Sellafield. The differences in (135)Cs/(137)Cs isotope ratios between Sellafield, Chernobyl, and global nuclear weapons testing fallout indicate that (135)Cs/(137)Cs isotope ratios can be utilized to discriminate between and track radiocesium transport from different nuclear production source terms, including major emission sources in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew S Snow
- Idaho National Laboratory, PO Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2805, USA.
| | - Darin C Snyder
- Idaho National Laboratory, PO Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2805, USA
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Falciglia PP, Puccio V, Romano S, Vagliasindi FGA. Performance study and influence of radiation emission energy and soil contamination level on γ-radiation shielding of stabilised/solidified radionuclide-polluted soils. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2015; 143:20-28. [PMID: 25710096 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.01.016] [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: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This work focuses on the stabilisation/solidification (S/S) of radionuclide-polluted soils at different (232)Th levels using Portland cement alone and with barite aggregates. The potential of S/S was assessed applying a full testing protocol and calculating γ-radiation shielding (γRS) index, that included the measurement of soil radioactivity before and after the S/S as a function of the emission energy and soil contamination level. The results indicate that setting processes are strongly dependent on the contaminant concentration, and for contamination level higher than 5%, setting time values longer than 72 h. The addition of barite aggregates to the cement gout leads to a slight improvement of the S/S performance in terms of durability and contaminant leaching but reduces the mechanical resistance of the treated soils samples. Barite addition also causes an increase in the γ-rays shielding properties of the S/S treatment up to about 20%. Gamma-ray measurements show that γRS strongly depends on the energy, and that the radioactivity with the contamination level was governed by a linear trend, while, γRS index does not depend on the radionuclide concentration. Results allow the calculated γRS values and those available from other experiments to be applied to hazard radioactive soil contaminations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro P Falciglia
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Valentina Puccio
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Stefano Romano
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud - INFN, Via S. Sofia, 62, 95125 Catania, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Federico G A Vagliasindi
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
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Lukšienė B, Puzas A, Remeikis V, Druteikienė R, Gudelis A, Gvozdaitė R, Buivydas Š, Davidonis R, Kandrotas G. Spatial patterns and ratios of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr, and Pu isotopes in the top layer of undisturbed meadow soils as indicators for contamination origin. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2015; 187:268. [PMID: 25893760 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4491-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Spatial distribution of activity concentrations of (137)Cs, (90)Sr, and (239,240)Pu in the top layer of undisturbed meadow soils was compared between two regional transects across Lithuania: one in the SW region, more affected by the Chernobyl radioactive fallout, and the other in the NE region. Radiochemical, γ-, α-, β-, and mass spectrometric methods were used to determine the radionuclide activity. Our results validate that higher activity concentrations in the top soil layer were present in the SW region, despite the fact that sampling was performed after 22 years of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident. Using the activity concentration ratio (137)Cs/(239,240)Puglobal, the contribution of the Chernobyl NPP accident to the total radiocesium activity concentrations in these meadow soils was evaluated and found to be in the range of 6.5-59.1%. Meanwhile, the activity concentration ratio (238)Pu/(239,240)Pu showed that Chernobyl-derived Pu occurred at almost half of the sampling sites. The locations with maximal values of 47% of Chernobyl-derived Pu material were close to northeastern Poland, where deposition of most of non-volatile radioisotopes from the Chernobyl plume was determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikta Lukšienė
- State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Savanorių Ave. 231, LT-02300, Vilnius, Lithuania,
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Zebracki M, Eyrolle-Boyer F, Evrard O, Claval D, Mourier B, Gairoard S, Cagnat X, Antonelli C. Tracing the origin of suspended sediment in a large Mediterranean river by combining continuous river monitoring and measurement of artificial and natural radionuclides. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 502:122-132. [PMID: 25255199 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.08.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Revised: 08/03/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Delivery of suspended sediment from large rivers to marine environments has important environmental impacts on coastal zones. In France, the Rhone River (catchment area of 98,000 km(2)) is by far the main supplier of sediment to the Mediterranean Sea and its annual solid discharge is largely controlled by flood events. This study investigates the relevance of alternative and original fingerprinting techniques based on the relative abundances of a series of radionuclides measured routinely at the Rhone River outlet to quantify the relative contribution of sediment supplied by the main tributaries during floods. Floods were classified according to the relative contribution of the main subcatchments (i.e., Oceanic, Cevenol, extensive Mediterranean and generalised). Between 2000 and 2012, 221 samples of suspended sediment were collected at the outlet and were shown to be representative of all flood types that occurred during the last decade. Three geogenic radionuclides (i.e., (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K) were used as fingerprints in a multivariate mixing model in order to estimate the relative contribution of the main subcatchment sources-characterised by different lithologies-in sediment samples collected at the outlet. Results showed that total sediment supply originating from Pre-Alpine, Upstream, and Cevenol sources amounted to 10, 7 and 2.10(6)tons, respectively. These results highlight the role of Pre-Alpine tributaries as the main sediment supplier (53%) to the Rhone River during floods. Other fingerprinting approaches based on artificial radionuclide activity ratios (i.e., (137)Cs/(239+240)Pu and (238)Pu/(239+240)Pu) were tested and provided a way to quantify sediment remobilisation or the relative contributions of the southern tributaries. In the future, fingerprinting methods based on natural radionuclides should be further applied to catchments with heterogeneous lithologies. Methods based on artificial radionuclides should be further applied to catchments characterised by heterogeneous post-Chernobyl (137)Cs deposition or by specific releases of radioactive effluents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Zebracki
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Radioécologiques en milieu Continental et Marin (LERCM), Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
| | - Frédérique Eyrolle-Boyer
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Radioécologiques en milieu Continental et Marin (LERCM), Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
| | - Olivier Evrard
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA/CNRS/UVSQ), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - David Claval
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Radioécologiques en milieu Continental et Marin (LERCM), Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
| | - Brice Mourier
- Université Lyon 1, UMR 5023 Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, ENTPE, CNRS, 3, Rue Maurice Audin, F-69518 Vaulx-en-Velin, France; Université de Limoges, GRESE, EA 4330, 123 avenue Albert Thomas, 87060 Limoges, France
| | - Stéphanie Gairoard
- Centre de Recherche et d'Enseignement de Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE), Unité Mixte 34 (AMU/CNRS/IRD), Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Xavier Cagnat
- Laboratoire de Mesure de la Radioactivité dans l'Environnement (LMRE), Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Orsay, France
| | - Christelle Antonelli
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Radioécologiques en milieu Continental et Marin (LERCM), Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
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On peculiarities of vertical distribution of 239,240Pu, 238Pu and 137Cs activity concentrations and their ratios in lake sediments and soils. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-014-3026-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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11
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Foteinis S, Mpizoura K, Panagopoulos G, Chatzisymeon E, Kallithrakas-Kontos N, Manutsoglu E. A novel use of the caesium-137 technique to estimate human interference and historical water level in a Mediterranean Temporary Pond. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2014; 127:75-81. [PMID: 24161743 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.10.007] [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: 03/03/2013] [Revised: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The sustainability of, and the effects of human pressures on, Omalos Mediterranean Temporary Pond (MTP), Chanea, Greece was assessed. The (137)Cs technique was used to identify alleged anthropogenic interference (excavation) in the studied area. It was found that about one third of the ponds bed surface material had been removed and disposed of on the northeast edge, confirming unplanned excavations that took place in the MTP area some years ago. Nonetheless, five years after the excavation, the MTP's ecosystem (flora and fauna) had recovered, which indicates that these small ecosystems are resilient to direct human pressures, like excavations. Moreover, with the (137)Cs technique it was possible to identify the historical water level of Omalos MTP, when the fallout from the Chernobyl accident reached this area, in May of 1986. Therefore, the (137)Cs technique can be useful in the identification of the historical water level of small MTPs and other ephemeral water bodies. Applications include the verification and validation of hydrological models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyros Foteinis
- Technical University of Crete, Department of Environmental Engineering, University Campus, GR-73100 Chania, Greece
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Payne TE, Harrison JJ, Hughes C, Johansen MP, Thiruvoth S, Wilsher KL, Cendón DI, Hankin SI, Rowling B, Zawadzki A. Trench 'bathtubbing' and surface plutonium contamination at a legacy radioactive waste site. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:13284-93. [PMID: 24256473 PMCID: PMC3854837 DOI: 10.1021/es403278r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Revised: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Radioactive waste containing a few grams of plutonium (Pu) was disposed between 1960 and 1968 in trenches at the Little Forest Burial Ground (LFBG), near Sydney, Australia. A water sampling point installed in a former trench has enabled the radionuclide content of trench water and the response of the water level to rainfall to be studied. The trench water contains readily measurable Pu activity (~12 Bq/L of (239+240)Pu in 0.45 μm-filtered water), and there is an associated contamination of Pu in surface soils. The highest (239+240)Pu soil activity was 829 Bq/kg in a shallow sample (0-1 cm depth) near the trench sampling point. Away from the trenches, the elevated concentrations of Pu in surface soils extend for tens of meters down-slope. The broader contamination may be partly attributable to dispersion events in the first decade after disposal, after which a layer of soil was added above the trenched area. Since this time, further Pu contamination has occurred near the trench-sampler within this added layer. The water level in the trench-sampler responds quickly to rainfall and intermittently reaches the surface, hence the Pu dispersion is attributed to saturation and overflow of the trenches during extreme rainfall events, referred to as the 'bathtub' effect.
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Petrović J, Ćujić M, Đorđević M, Dragović R, Gajić B, Miljanić Š, Dragović S. Spatial distribution and vertical migration of (137)Cs in soils of Belgrade (Serbia) 25 years after the Chernobyl accident. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2013; 15:1279-1289. [PMID: 23681090 DOI: 10.1039/c3em00084b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the specific activity of (137)Cs was determined by gamma-ray spectrometry in 72 surface soil samples and 11 soil profiles collected from the territory of Belgrade 25 years after the Chernobyl accident. Based on the data obtained the external effective gamma dose rates due to (137)Cs were assessed and geographically mapped. The influence of pedogenic factors (pH, specific electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, organic matter content, soil particle size and carbonate content) on the spatial and vertical distribution of (137)Cs in soil was estimated through Pearson correlations. The specific activity of (137)Cs in surface soil samples ranged from 1.00 to 180 Bq kg(-1), with a mean value of 29.9 Bq kg(-1), while in soil profiles they ranged from 0.90 to 58.0 Bq kg(-1), with a mean value of 15.3 Bq kg(-1). The mean external effective gamma dose at 1 m above the ground due to (137)Cs in the soil was calculated to be 1.96 nSv h(-1). Geographic mapping of the external effective gamma dose rates originating from (137)Cs revealed much higher dose rates in southern parts of Belgrade city and around the confluence of the Sava and Danube. Negative Pearson correlation coefficients were found between pH, cation exchange capacity and (137)Cs specific activity in surface soil. There were positive correlations between organic matter and (137)Cs specific activity in surface soil; and between specific electrical conductivity, organic matter, silt content and (137)Cs specific activity in soil profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Petrović
- University of Belgrade, Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy, Banatska 31b, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia.
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First measurements of 238Pu and 238Pu/137Cs activity ratio in Montenegro soil. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-012-1661-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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