1
|
Nakanishi T, Sakuma K, Ohyama T, Hagiwara H, Suzuki T. Records of the riverine discharge of 129I in riverbank sediment after the Fukushima accident. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 355:124213. [PMID: 38795818 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124213] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Although 129I discharge from watersheds is fundamental for assessing long-term radiation effects on aquatic ecosystems, 129I originating from the Fukushima nuclear accident is yet be evaluated. This study investigated the transport behavior of 129I by riverbank surveys conducted from 2013 to 2015 in a watershed where the 129I/137Cs activity ratio is low in the mountainous area and high in the plain as of 2011. Until 2015, the 129I/137Cs activity ratio of the levee crown in the studied watershed was similar to that of the surrounding area in 2011. However, the 129I/137Cs ratios of the surface riverbank sediments were all low, indicating that radionuclides transported from the mountainous area were deposited on the riverbank in the plain. The vertical distribution of the 129I/137Cs ratio in the riverbank sediments indicated that some 129I and 137Cs deposited during the accident remained in the lower layers, but most were eroded immediately after the accident. Based on the 129I/137Cs ratios of sediments deposited on the riverbank, which remained constant until 2015 after the accident, the amount of 129I discharged to the ocean was determined from the previously evaluated 137Cs discharge. It was calculated that 1.8 × 105 Bq and 1.2 × 107 Bq of 129I were discharged with sediment from the studied watershed and the contaminated river watersheds (Abukuma River and Fukushima coastal rivers, including the study river), respectively. This amount of 129I was 0.3% of the 129I released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean immediately after the accident. Furthermore, a comparison of the 129I/137Cs ratio showed that the continuous 129I and 137Cs discharge from the river contribute little to their amount in the seafloor sediments along the Fukushima coast.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Nakanishi
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan; Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu-town, Tamura-gun, Fukushima, 963-7700, Japan.
| | - Kazuyuki Sakuma
- Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu-town, Tamura-gun, Fukushima, 963-7700, Japan.
| | - Takuya Ohyama
- Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu-town, Tamura-gun, Fukushima, 963-7700, Japan.
| | - Hiroki Hagiwara
- Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu-town, Tamura-gun, Fukushima, 963-7700, Japan.
| | - Takashi Suzuki
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhao X, Hou X, Zhang D, Yang Y, Huang Z, Liu Q. Records of iodine isotopes ( 129I, 127I) in the Barkol peat bog from northwest China and their sources, transport and preservation. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 279:130531. [PMID: 33887591 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130531] [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: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The research on geochemical behaviors of iodine is significant for deep understanding of the source and distribution of iodine on the earth. However, as one of the most important sources, the ocean emissions and relative transport pathways of iodine, as well as the preservation after deposition are still not well known, especially in the arid areas of central Asia. A peat sediment core collected nearby Barkol Lake from northwest China was analyzed for iodine isotopes (127I and 129I). The observed high 127I concentration in the top 2 cm indicated a significant accumulation of iodine in the surface oxic conditions due to the continuous sources of incompletely decomposed organic matter. Dissociation of iodine into pore waters occurred once the anoxic conditions established beneath the surface by a serial reduction reaction during the degradation of organic matter. The temporal variation of anthropogenic 129I in the peat sediment recorded its sources and transport pathways. Besides the global fallout 129I during late 1950s and early 1960s, the significantly increased air releases from the European nuclear fuel reprocessing plants during 1975-1997 and the increased marine discharges since 1990s contributed the major portion of 129I in the peat core. The major transport pathway of 129I from the Europe was through Westerlies following the re-emission of the marine discharged 129I to the atmosphere, indicating a clearly ocean emitted iodine in the concerned central Asia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Xiaolin Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Risø Campus, Roskilde, 4000, Denmark; CAS Center of Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Xi'an, 710061, PR China.
| | - Dongliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, PR China
| | - Yunpeng Yang
- College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, PR China
| | - Zhao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Qi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Determination of 129I in vegetation using alkaline ashing separation combined with AMS measurement and variation of vegetation iodine isotopes in Qinling Mountains. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-020-07427-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
4
|
Sakaguchi A, Inaba R, Sasa K, Matsunaka T, Hosoya S, Takahashi T, Honda M, Yamano H, Sasaki K, Yamasaki S, Watanabe T, Sueki K. Reconstruction of anthropogenic 129I temporal variation in the Japan Sea using a coral core sample. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 142:91-99. [PMID: 30290965 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The anthropogenic long-lived radionuclide 129I is receiving increased attraction as a new oceanic tracer in addition to usage as a fingerprint of radionuclide contamination of the marine environment. To demonstrate the robustness of 129I as an oceanic tracer in the Northwest Pacific area, specifically in the Japan Sea, the input history of 129I to surface seawater was reconstructed using a hermatypic coral core sample from Iki Island in the Tsushima strait. Iodine isotopes in each annual band were measured using AMS and ICP-MS after appropriate pre-treatments of small amounts of coral powder. The 129I/127I ratios in the 1940s were almost at background levels (<1 × 10-11) and increased abruptly in the early 1950s. Thereafter, the ratios continuously increased with some fluctuations; the maximum ratio, 7.13 ± 0.72 × 10-11, being found in the late 1990s. After that period, the ratios remained nearly constant until the present time (2011). The 129I originated mainly from the nuclear weapons testings of the 1950s and the early 1960s, and from airborne releasing by nuclear reprocessing facilities. The dataset obtained here was used to construct a simple model to estimate the diffusion coefficient of 129I in the Japan Sea. The 129I/236U ratios over the observation period were also reconstructed to help constraining sources of 129I to the marine environment. Based on the results, the 129I/236U ratio obtained here could be an endmember of the water mass in the Kuroshio Current area of the Northwest Pacific Ocean.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aya Sakaguchi
- AMS Group, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.
| | - Rui Inaba
- AMS Group, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kimikazu Sasa
- AMS Group, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Matsunaka
- AMS Group, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Seiji Hosoya
- AMS Group, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Takahashi
- AMS Group, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Maki Honda
- AMS Group, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Hiroya Yamano
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Keiichi Sasaki
- Organization for Core Curriculum Studies, Kanazawa Gakuin University, Ishikawa, 920-1392, Japan
| | - Shinya Yamasaki
- AMS Group, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Watanabe
- Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, N10W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Keisuke Sueki
- AMS Group, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang L, Hou X, Li HC, Xu X. A 60-year record of 129I in Taal Lake sediments (Philippines): Influence of human nuclear activities at low latitude regions. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 193:1149-1156. [PMID: 29874743 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.11.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The influence of human nuclear activities on environmental radioactivity is not well known at low latitude regions that are distant from nuclear test sites and nuclear facilities. A sediment core collected from Taal Lake in the central Philippines was analyzed for 129I and 127I to investigate this influence in a low-latitude terrestrial system. A baseline of 129I/127I atomic ratios was established at (2.04-5.14) × 10-12 in the pre-nuclear era in this region. Controlled by the northeasterly equatorial trade winds, increased 129I/127I ratios of (20.1-69.3) × 10-12 suggest that atmospheric nuclear weapons tests at the Pacific Proving Grounds in the central Pacific Ocean was the major source of 129I in the sediment during 1956-1962. The 129I/127I ratios, up to 157.5 × 10-12 after 1964, indicate a strong influence by European nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. The East Asian Winter Monsoon is found to be the dominant driving force in the atmospheric dispersion of radioactive iodine (129I) from the European nuclear fuel reprocessing plants to Southeast Asia, which is also important for dispersion of other airborne pollutants from the middle-high to low latitude regions. A significant 129I/127I peak at 42.8 cm in the Taal Lake core appears to be the signal of the Chernobyl accident in 1986. In addition, volcanic activities are reflected in the iodine isotope profiles in the sediment core, suggesting the potential of using iodine isotopes as an indicator of volcanic eruptions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luyuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Xiaolin Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China; Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, Risø Campus, Roskilde, 4000, Denmark.
| | - Hong-Chun Li
- Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Xiaomei Xu
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hasegawa H, Kakiuchi H, Akata N, Ohtsuka Y, Hisamatsu S. Regional and global contributions of anthropogenic iodine-129 in monthly deposition samples collected in North East Japan between 2006 and 2015. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2017; 171:65-73. [PMID: 28187334 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We measured the monthly atmospheric deposition flux of 129I at Rokkasho, Aomori, Japan-the location of a commercial spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant-from 2006 to 2015 to assess the impact of the plant on environmental 129I levels. The plant is now under final safety assessment by a national authority after test operation using actual spent nuclear fuel. During cutting and chemical processing in test operations from April 2006 to October 2008, 129I was discharged to the atmosphere and detected in our deposition samples. 129I deposition fluxes largely followed the discharge pattern of 129I from the plant to the atmosphere, and most of the deposited 129I originated from the plant. In and after 2009, 129I deposition fluxes decreased dramatically to reach the background level; the 129I deposition fluxes at Rokkasho were almost the same as those at Hirosaki, where an additional sampling point was set up as a background site 85 km from the plant in 2011. The background 129I deposition fluxes showed seasonal variation-high in winter and low in the other seasons-at both Rokkasho and Hirosaki. The results of a backward trajectory analysis of the air mass at Rokkasho suggested that reprocessing plants in Europe were the origins of the high 129I flux in winter. The contribution of 129I released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident to the 129I deposition flux at Rokkasho in 2011 was small on the basis of the 129I/131I activity ratio.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hidenao Hasegawa
- Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, 1-7 Ienomae, Obuchi, Rokkasho, Kamikita, Aomori 039-3212, Japan.
| | - Hideki Kakiuchi
- Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, 1-7 Ienomae, Obuchi, Rokkasho, Kamikita, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
| | - Naofumi Akata
- Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, 1-7 Ienomae, Obuchi, Rokkasho, Kamikita, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Ohtsuka
- Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, 1-7 Ienomae, Obuchi, Rokkasho, Kamikita, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
| | - Shun'ichi Hisamatsu
- Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, 1-7 Ienomae, Obuchi, Rokkasho, Kamikita, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gómez-Guzmán JM, López-Gutiérrez JM, García-Tenorio R, Agulló L, Peruchena JI, Manjón G, García-León M. Estimating the impact from Fukushima in Southern Spain by 131I and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry detection of 129I. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2017; 166:36-44. [PMID: 27006171 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
After the Fukushima accident, large amounts of radionuclides were discharged to the atmosphere. Some of them travelled long distances and were detected in places as far from Japan as Spain a few days after the accident. One of these radionuclides was 131I. Its isotope 129I (T1/2 = 15.7 × 106 years) was also expected to follow the same pathway. In this work, we present the results for the 129I concentration in the same atmospheric samples from Seville (Spain) where 131I activity was measured in 2011 by Baeza et al. (2012). 129I concentrations in aerosol and gaseous samples showed concentrations in the order of 104 and 105 atoms/m3, typically higher in the gaseous form with respect to the aerosol form. Also 129I in rainwater was measured, showing concentrations in the order of 108 atoms/L. The results show a very good agreement with the 131I profile, showing that, if background from other sources is not relevant, it is possible to estimate the impact of similar events years after them thanks to the sensitivity of techniques like Accelerator Mass Spectrometry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J M Gómez-Guzmán
- Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, James-Franck-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - J M López-Gutiérrez
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (Universidad de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Junta de Andalucía), Thomas Alva Edison 7, 41092 Seville, Spain; Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Universitaria Politécnica, Virgen de África 7, 41011 Seville, Spain.
| | - R García-Tenorio
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (Universidad de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Junta de Andalucía), Thomas Alva Edison 7, 41092 Seville, Spain; Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Física Aplicada II, E.T.S. Arquitectura, Av. Reina Mercedes, 2, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - L Agulló
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (Universidad de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Junta de Andalucía), Thomas Alva Edison 7, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - J I Peruchena
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (Universidad de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Junta de Andalucía), Thomas Alva Edison 7, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - G Manjón
- Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Física Aplicada II, E.T.S. Arquitectura, Av. Reina Mercedes, 2, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - M García-León
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (Universidad de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Junta de Andalucía), Thomas Alva Edison 7, 41092 Seville, Spain; Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Física Atómica Molecular y Nuclear, Av. Reina Mercedes s/n, Seville, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Fan Y, Hou X, Zhou W, Liu G. (129)I record of nuclear activities in marine sediment core from Jiaozhou Bay in China. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 154:15-24. [PMID: 26821329 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Iodine-129 has been used as a powerful tool for environmental tracing of human nuclear activities. In this work, a sediment core collected from Jiaozhou Bay, the east coast of China, in 2002 was analyzed for (129)I to investigate the influence of human nuclear activities in this region. Significantly enhanced (129)I level was observed in upper 70 cm of the sediment core, with peak values in the layer corresponding to 1957, 1964, 1974, 1986, and after 1990. The sources of (129)I and corresponding transport processes in this region are discussed, including nuclear weapons testing at the Pacific Proving Grounds, global fallout from a large numbers of nuclear weapon tests in 1963, the climax of Chinese nuclear weapons testing in the early 1970s, the Chernobyl accident in 1986, and long-distance dispersion of European reprocessing derived (129)I. The very well (129)I records of different human nuclear activities in the sediment core illustrate the potential application of (129)I in constraining ages and sedimentation rates of the recent sediment. The releases of (129)I from the European nuclear fuel reprocessing plants at La Hague (France) and Sellafield (UK) were found to dominate the inventory of (129)I in the Chinese sediments after 1990, not only the directly atmospheric releases of these reprocessing plants, but also re-emission of marine discharged (129)I of these reprocessing plants in the highly contaminated European seas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yukun Fan
- Xi'an AMS Center, SKLLQG, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of AMS Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, CAS, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Xiaolin Hou
- Xi'an AMS Center, SKLLQG, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of AMS Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, CAS, Xi'an, 710061, China.
| | - Weijian Zhou
- Xi'an AMS Center, SKLLQG, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of AMS Technology and Application, Institute of Earth Environment, CAS, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Guangshan Liu
- College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Gómez-Guzmán JM, Cámara-Mor P, Suzuki T, López-Gutiérrez JM, Mas JL, Masqué P, Moran SB, Smith JN. New insights on the role of sea ice in intercepting atmospheric pollutants using (129)I. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2014; 89:180-190. [PMID: 25457809 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/04/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Measurements of (129)I carried out on sea ice samples collected in the central Arctic Ocean in 2007 revealed relatively high levels in the range of 100-1400×10(7) at L(-1) that are comparable to levels measured in the surface mixed layer of the ocean at the same time. The (129)I/(127)I ratio in sea ice is much greater than that in the underlying water, indicating that the (129)I inventory in sea ice cannot be supported by direct uptake from seawater or by iodine volatilization from proximal (nearby) oceanic regimes. Instead, it is proposed that most of the (129)I inventory in the sea ice is derived from direct atmospheric transport from European nuclear fuel reprocessing plants at Sellafield and Cap La Hague. This hypothesis is supported by back trajectory simulations indicating that volume elements of air originating in the Sellafield/La Hague regions would have been present at arctic sampling stations coincident with sampling collection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J M Gómez-Guzmán
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Avda. Thomas alba Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - P Cámara-Mor
- Departament de Física & Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - T Suzuki
- Reserch Group for Environmental Science, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2-4 Shirakata-shirane, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan
| | - J M López-Gutiérrez
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Avda. Thomas alba Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; Dpto. de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Universitaria Politécnica, University of Sevilla, Spain
| | - J L Mas
- Dpto. de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Universitaria Politécnica, University of Sevilla, Spain
| | - P Masqué
- Departament de Física & Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; Oceans Institute & School of Physics, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; School of Natural Sciences & Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | - S B Moran
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, USA
| | - J N Smith
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gómez-Guzmán JM, Holm E, Niagolova N, López-Gutiérrez JM, Pinto-Gómez AR, Abril JA, García-León M. Influence of releases of (129)I and (137)Cs from European reprocessing facilities in Fucus vesiculosus and seawater from the Kattegat and Skagerrak areas. CHEMOSPHERE 2014; 108:76-84. [PMID: 24875915 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
(129)I is a very long-lived radionuclide (T1/2=15.7×10(6) years) that is present in the environment because of natural and anthropogenic sources. Compared to the pre-nuclear era, large amounts of (129)I have been released to the marine environment, especially as liquid and gaseous discharges from two European reprocessing facilities located at Sellafield (England) and La Hague (France). The marine environment, i.e., the oceans, is the major source of iodine. Brown seaweed accumulates iodine at high levels up to 1.0% of dry weigh, and therefore they are ideal bioindicators for studying levels of (129)I. In this work, (129)I concentrations have been determined in seaweed Fucus vesiculosus and seawater collected in the Kattegat and Skagerrak areas in July 2007. The resulting data were evaluated in terms of (129)I concentrations and (129)I/(137)Cs ratios. (129)I concentrations were found to be in the order of (44-575)×10(9) atoms g(-1) in seaweed and (5.4-51)×10(9) atoms g(-1) in seawater, with an enhancement in the Skagerrak area in comparison to the Kattegat area. Iodine-129 concentrations in both seaweed and seawater were used to determine the concentration factor of iodine in brown seaweed F. vesiculosus. The high levels of (129)I and (129)I/(137)Cs ratios in the Skagerrak area and their gradually decreasing trend to the Kattegat indicates that the most important contribution to the (129)I inventory in those areas comes from Sellafield and La Hague reprocessing plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J M Gómez-Guzmán
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Avda. Thomas Alva Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain; Dpto. de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, University of Seville, Spain.
| | - E Holm
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Avda. Thomas Alva Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain; Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Østerås, Norway
| | - N Niagolova
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Avda. Thomas Alva Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - J M López-Gutiérrez
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Avda. Thomas Alva Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain; Dpto. de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Universitaria Politécnica, University of Seville, Spain
| | - A R Pinto-Gómez
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Avda. Thomas Alva Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - J A Abril
- Dpto. de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Universitaria Politécnica, University of Seville, Spain
| | - M García-León
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Avda. Thomas Alva Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain; Dpto. de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, University of Seville, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Steinhauser G. Fukushima's forgotten radionuclides: a review of the understudied radioactive emissions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:4649-4663. [PMID: 24754713 DOI: 10.1021/es405654c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In environmental monitoring campaigns for anthropogenic radionuclides released in the course of the Fukushima nuclear accident (2011), most focus had been on gamma-emitting radionuclides. More than 99% of the released activity was due to radionuclides of the elements Kr, Te, I, Xe, and Cs. However, little work had been done on the monitoring of radionuclides other than (131)I, (132)Te, (134)Cs, (136)Cs, and (137)Cs. Radionuclides such as those of less volatile elements (e.g., (89)Sr, (90)Sr, (103)Ru, (106)Ru, plutonium), pure beta-emitters ((3)H, (14)C, (35)S), gaseous radionuclides ((85)Kr, (133)Xe, (135)Xe) or radionuclides with very long half-lives (e.g., (36)Cl, (99)Tc, (129)I, some actinides such as (236)U) have been understudied by comparison. In this review, we summarize previous monitoring work on these "orphan" radionuclides in various environmental media and outline further challenges for future monitoring campaigns. Some of the understudied radionuclides are of radiological concern, others are promising tracers for environmental, geochemical processes such as oceanic mixing. Unfortunately, the shorter-lived nuclides of radioxenon, (103)Ru, (89)Sr and (35)S will no longer exhibit detectable activities in the environment. Activity concentrations of other radionuclides such as tritium, (14)C, or (85)Kr will become blurred in the significant background of previous releases (nuclear explosions and previous accidents). Isotope ratios such as (240)Pu/(239)Pu will allow for the identification of Fukushima plutonium despite the plutonium background.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georg Steinhauser
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
|
13
|
Gómez-Guzmán JM, Holm E, Enamorado-Báez SM, Abril JA, Pinto-Gómez AR, López-Gutiérrez JM, García-León M. Pre- and post-Chernobyl accident levels of 129I and 137Cs in the Southern Baltic Sea by brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2013; 115:134-42. [PMID: 22939948 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2012] [Revised: 07/12/2012] [Accepted: 08/09/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
(129)I is a very long-lived radionuclide (T(1/2) = 15.7 × 10(6) years) that is present in the environment both because of natural and anthropogenic sources. In this work (129)I concentration and (129)I/(127)I ratio have been determined in seaweed Fucus vesiculosus collected in the Southern Baltic Sea during 1982 and 1986 (post-Chernobyl accident). The resulting data were evaluated in terms of (129)I concentrations, (129)I/(127)I and (129)I/(137)Cs ratios. (129)I concentrations were found to be in the order of (0.82-5.89) × 10(9) atoms g(-1) in 1982 and (1.33-38.83) × 10(9) atoms g(-1) in 1986. The (129)I/(127)I ratios ranged from (22.7-87.8) × 10(-10) for seaweed collected in 1982 and from (26.1-305.5) × 10(-10) for seaweed collected in 1986. Also a linear relationship was established for (127)I concentrations in seawater and salinity in this area, enabling the estimation of concentration factors for (127)I in F. vesiculosus. The high levels of (129)I and (129)I/(127)I in the Kattegat and their gradually decreasing trend to the Baltic Sea indicates that the most important contribution to the (129)I inventory in the Baltic Sea area comes from Sellafield and La Hague reprocessing plants. With respect to Chernobyl accident, (129)I concentrations in samples collected in 1986 were not much higher than those expected in less contaminated samples from 1982. This supports the view that the contribution of the Chernobyl accident to (129)I in the Baltic region was not significant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J M Gómez-Guzmán
- Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Avda. Thomas Alva Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hansen V, Roos P, Aldahan A, Hou X, Possnert G. Partition of iodine (¹²⁹I and ¹²⁷I) isotopes in soils and marine sediments. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2011; 102:1096-104. [PMID: 21924531 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2011] [Revised: 07/12/2011] [Accepted: 07/19/2011] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Natural organic matter, such as humic and fulvic acids and humin, plays a key role in determining the fate and mobility of radioiodine in soil and sediments. The radioisotope ¹²⁹I is continuously produced and released from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, and as a biophilic element, its environmental mobility is strongly linked to organic matter. Due to its long half-life (15.7 million years), ¹²⁹I builds up in the environment and can be traced since the beginning of the nuclear era in reservoirs such as soils and marine sediments. Nevertheless, partition of the isotope between the different types of organic matter in soil and sediment is rarely explored. Here we present a sequential extraction of ¹²⁹I and ¹²⁷I chemical forms encountered in a Danish soil, a soil reference material (IAEA-375), an anoxic marine sediment from Southern Norway and an oxic sediment from the Barents Sea. The different forms of iodine are related to water soluble, exchangeable, carbonates, oxides as well as iodine bound to humic acid, fulvic acid and to humin and minerals. This is the first study to identify ¹²⁹I in humic and fulvic acid and humin. The results show that 30-56% of the total ¹²⁷I and 42-60% of the total ¹²⁹I are associated with organic matter in soil and sediment samples. At a soil/sediment pH below 5.0-5.5, (¹²⁷I and ¹²⁹I in the organic fraction associate primarily with the humic acid while at soil/sediment pH > 6 ¹²⁹I was mostly found to be bound to fulvic acid. Anoxic conditions seem to increase the mobility and availability of iodine compared to oxic, while subaerial conditions (soils) reduces the availability of water soluble fraction compared to subaqueous (marine) conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Hansen
- Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, NUK-202, Technical University of Denmark, Frederiksborgvej 399, P.O.B. 49, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Huang RJ, Hou X, Hoffmann T. Extensive evaluation of a diffusion denuder technique for the quantification of atmospheric stable and radioactive molecular iodine. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2010; 44:5061-5066. [PMID: 20524649 DOI: 10.1021/es100395p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we present the evaluation and optimization of a new approach for the quantification of gaseous molecular iodine (I(2)) for laboratory- and field-based studies and its novel application for the measurement of radioactive molecular iodine. alpha-Cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) in combination with (129)I(-) is shown to be an effective denuder coating for the sampling of gaseous I(2) by the formation of an inclusion complex. The entrapped (127)I(2) together with the (129)I(-) spike in the coating is then released and derivatized to 4-iodo-N,N-dimethylaniline (4-I-DMA) for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The (127)I(2) collected can be differentiated from the (129)I(-) spike by MS. A set of parameters affecting the analytical performances of this approach, including amount of alpha-CD and (129)I(-) applied, denuder length, sampling gas flow rate and sampling duration, relative humidity, sample storage period, and condition of release and derivatization of iodine, is extensively evaluated and optimized. The collection efficiency is larger than 98% and the limit of detection (LOD) obtained is 0.17 parts-per-trillion-by-volume (pptv) for a sampling duration of 30 min at 500 mL min(-1). Furthermore, the potential use of this protocol for the determination of radioactive I(2) at ultra trace level is also demonstrated when (129)I(-) used in the coating is replaced by (127)I(-) and a multiple denuder system is used. Using the present method we observed 25.7-108.6 pptv (127)I(2) at Mweenish Bay, Ireland and 10(8) molecule m(-3 129)I(2) at Mainz, Germany.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ru-Jin Huang
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hou X, Hansen V, Aldahan A, Possnert G, Lind OC, Lujaniene G. A review on speciation of iodine-129 in the environmental and biological samples. Anal Chim Acta 2009; 632:181-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2008.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2008] [Revised: 11/02/2008] [Accepted: 11/06/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
17
|
Englund E, Aldahan A, Possnert G, Haltia-Hovi E, Hou X, Renberg I, Saarinen T. Modeling fallout of anthropogenic 129I. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2008; 42:9225-9230. [PMID: 19174896 DOI: 10.1021/es8009953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Despite the relatively well-recognized emission rates of the anthropogenic 129I, there is little knowledge about the temporal fallout patterns and magnitude of fluxes since the start of the atomic era atthe early 1940s. We here present measurements of annual 129I concentrations in sediment archives from Sweden and Finland covering the period 1942-2006. The results revealed impression of 129I emissions from the nuclear reprocessing facility at Sellafield and La Hague and a clear Chernobyl fallout enhancement during 1986. In order to estimate relative contributions from the different sources, a numerical model approach was used taking into accountthe emission rates/estimated fallout, transport pathways, and the sediment system. The model outcomes suggest a relatively dominating marine source of 129I to north Europe compared to direct gaseous releases. A transfer rate of 129I from sea to atmosphere is derived for pertinent sea areas (English Channel, Irish Sea, and North Sea), which is estimated at 0.04 to 0.21 y(-1).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edvard Englund
- Tandem Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 529, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Englund E, Aldahan A, Possnert G. Tracing anthropogenic nuclear activity with (129)I in lake sediment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2008; 99:219-29. [PMID: 17892902 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2007.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2007] [Revised: 07/04/2007] [Accepted: 07/17/2007] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
This study reports the first data of (129)I fallout in Scandinavia, covering the last 80 years. The investigation is based on sediment sections from a lake in central Sweden. In addition to analysis of (129)I, a combination of several radionuclides ((210)Pb, (137)Cs and (14)C) was used to establish an accurate chronology of the sediment profile. The concentration of (129)I exhibits an increasing trend ( approximately 10(7) to approximately 10(9)atoms/g) during the last 40 years, suggesting a significant atmospheric input from the nuclear reprocessing facilities in Sellafield (UK) and La Hague (France). A peak corresponding to fallout from the Chernobyl accident (1986) is clearly distinguishable, whereas the impact of fallout from the nuclear weapons' tests since the early 1950s is not distinguished.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Englund
- Tandem Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 529, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|