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Hirose K. Review of the sources and behaviors of plutonium isotopes in the atmosphere and ocean. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2024; 277:107466. [PMID: 38838510 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2024.107466] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Plutonium, as well as fission products such as 137Cs, had been released into the earth environment in 1945 after the first atmospheric nuclear explosion of plutonium bomb in the desert of New Mexico (USA, July 16) and later over Nagasaki (August 9), followed then by many other explosions. Thus, plutonium cycling in the atmosphere and ocean has become a major public concern as a result of the radiological and chemical toxicity of plutonium. However, plutonium isotopes and 137Cs are important transient tracers of biogeochemical and physical processes in the environment, respectively. In this review, we show that both physical and chemical approaches are needed to comprehensively understand the behaviors of plutonium in the atmosphere and ocean. In the atmosphere, plutonium and 137Cs attach with aerosols; thus, plutonium moves according to physical and chemical processes in connection with aerosols; however, since plutonium is a chemically reactive element, its behavior in an aqueous environment is more complicated, because biogeochemical regulatory factors, in addition to geophysical regulatory factors, must be considered. Meanwhile, 137Cs is chemically inert in aqueous environments. Therefore, the biogeochemical characteristics of plutonium can be elucidated through a comparison with those of 137Cs, which show conservative properties and moves according to physical processes. Finally, we suggest that monitoring of both plutonium and 137Cs can help elucidate geophysical and biogeochemical changes from climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsumi Hirose
- Laboratory for Environmental Research at Mount Fuji, Okubo Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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2
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Qin N, Zheng J, Guosheng Yang, Tagami K. A comprehensive survey of reference materials for their use in quality assurance for the determination of Np-237 in environmental samples. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2024; 271:107328. [PMID: 37951039 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107328] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Neptunium-237 (237Np) is one of the most hazardous radionuclides of public concern due to its radiological toxicity, long half-life and high environmental mobility. Standard reference materials (SRMs) with well characterized 237Np activity concentrations are valuable for method development and validation of 237Np determination in environmental samples. In this study, a comprehensive literature survey of 237Np activity concentrations in 25 SRMs was carried out covering the various matrices of sediment, soil, seawater, atmospheric particles, and biota. After data screening, arithmetic mean of the activity concentrations of 237Np in literatures were calculated as statistical values (SVs). Then, accuracies of different instrument analyses and acid digestion methods were evaluated based on the SVs. Finally, by optimizing the sector field ICP-MS analytical method, 237Np activity concentration in JSAC-0471 soil SRM was measured. The application of SVs provides 237Np activity concentration information in more SRMs. Besides SRMs certified by technically validated procedures, SRMs with SVs and the measurement of JASC-0471 provide more options for suitable selection of SRMs for 237Np determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Qin
- Institute for Radiological Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 491 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 266-8555, Japan; University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jian Zheng
- Institute for Radiological Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 491 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 266-8555, Japan.
| | - Guosheng Yang
- Institute for Radiological Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 491 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 266-8555, Japan
| | - Keiko Tagami
- Institute for Radiological Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 491 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 266-8555, Japan
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3
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Zhang S, Liu Z, Yang G, Zheng J, Pan S, Aono T, Sakaguchi A. Rapid Method To Determine 137Cs, 237Np, and Pu Isotopes in Seawater by SF-ICP-MS. Anal Chem 2023; 95:16892-16901. [PMID: 37906231 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Neptunium-237, owing to its long half-life (t1/2 = 2.14 × 106 year) and similar conservatism to 137Cs, has the potential to replace 137Cs for water mass circulation studies on decades and even longer time scales. A new method for the determination of 137Cs, 237Np, and Pu isotopes in seawater samples was proposed to solve the difficulty of 237Np analysis in seawater. The developed method includes the separation technique of ammonium phosphomolybdate (AMP) adsorption for 137Cs and anion exchange chromatography for 237Np and Pu, a measurement technique of gamma spectrometry for 137Cs and SF-ICP-MS for 237Np and Pu isotopes. 242Pu as a pseudo isotope dilution tracer for Np, the negligible chemical fractionation between 237Np and 242Pu of 1.02 ± 0.06 (k = 2) was obtained by implementing sophisticated control of the redox system and chromatographic elution optimization. The analytical results for the International Atomic Energy Agency Certified Reference Materials (IAEA-443) agreed with the reference values, showing chemical yields of 65-88%, U decontamination factor above 106 level, and improved sample throughput (5 days for 12 samples). Meanwhile, the lower method detection limits (MDLs) of 237Np, 239Pu, and 240Pu were 1.3 × 10-3, 0.065, and 0.15 μBq L-1 for 15 L seawater, respectively. Results obtained by the developed method can be used to evaluate the impact on the marine ecological system of the planned marine discharge of Fukushima decontaminated wastewater. Working toward that purpose, we are the first to report the 237Np activity concentration in Pacific Ocean seawater sampled near the station site, and we obtained the value of 0.122-0.154 μBq L-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Zhang
- Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage , Chiba 263-8555, Japan
- School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhiyong Liu
- Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage , Chiba 263-8555, Japan
- 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
| | - Guosheng Yang
- Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage , Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Jian Zheng
- Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage , Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Shaoming Pan
- School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Tatsuo Aono
- Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage , Chiba 263-8555, Japan
- Radioecology Unit, Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Aya Sakaguchi
- Institute of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba , Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
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Zheng J, Tagami K, Uchida S, Shibutani S, Ishida K, Hamamoto T. Assessment of soil-soil solution distribution coefficients of global fallout 237Np and 239Pu in Japanese upland soils. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2023; 266-267:107241. [PMID: 37454645 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Neptunium-237 and 239Pu are important radionuclides in the safety assessment related to geological disposal of radioactive waste because of the possibility of long-term exposure to humans. Mobilities of these radionuclides in the environment are of particular importance for their radiation dose evaluation; therefore, in this study, we have made the assessment of the soil-soil solution distribution coefficient (Kd, L/kg) using global fallout 237Np and 239Pu in Japanese upland soils. The Kd values were determined by extracting these radionuclides from 24 soil samples using a laboratory batch method. The desorption Kd values of 237Np ranged from 3.3 × 102 to 1.0 × 104 L/kg, and their geometric mean (GM) and arithmetic mean (AM) were 1.7 × 103 L/kg and 2.6 × 103 L/kg, respectively. The desorption Kd values of 239Pu were found to vary from 9.4 × 103 to 7.1 × 104 L/kg, and their GM and AM were 3.3 × 104 L/kg and 4.0 × 104 L/kg, respectively. In Japanese upland soils, the Kd value of 239Pu was one order of magnitude higher than that of 237Np.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zheng
- National Institute for Radiological Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
| | - Keiko Tagami
- National Institute for Radiological Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Shigeo Uchida
- National Institute for Radiological Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Sanae Shibutani
- Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, 4-1-23 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0014, Japan
| | - Keisuke Ishida
- Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, 4-1-23 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0014, Japan
| | - Takafumi Hamamoto
- Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, 4-1-23 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0014, Japan
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Wang H, Ni Y, Men W, Wang Z, Liu M, Xiao D, Zheng J. Distributions of fallout 137Cs, 239+240Pu and 241Am in a soil core from South Central China. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 251-252:106971. [PMID: 35961100 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106971] [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: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The source and vertical distribution of 137Cs,239+240Pu and 241Am activity concentrations in a soil core from Hunan Province, China were investigated. The maximum 137Cs and 239+240Pu activity concentrations were 15.45 ± 0.76 mBq/g and 0.819 ± 0.066 mBq/g, respectively. While the maximum 241Am activity concentration in samples obtained from the core was 0.341 ± 0.019 mBq/g. The 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio and the 137Cs/239+240Pu activity ratio were 0.183 ± 0.011 and 19.5 ± 1.8, respectively, and both were consistent with the characteristic value of global fallout. The integrated 241Am/239+240Pu activity ratio for global fallout was also re-estimated. The measured 241Am/239+240Pu activity ratio (average 0.43 ± 0.07) in the samples was very close to the estimated value (0.45), which suggested their 241Am also came from the global fallout. Regarding the vertical distribution of 137Cs, 239+240Pu and 241Am in these red soil samples, all these radionuclides had higher concentrations in upper layers of several centimeters of soil while they had slightly lower concentrations in lower soil layers down to 30 cm. Vertical distributions of 137Cs/239+240Pu and 241Am/239+240Pu activity ratios indicated the migration velocity was Am ≈ Pu > Cs. The intrinsic chemical properties of the radionuclides as well as soil type and properties (acidic, nutrient-deficient and low in organic matter and cation exchange capacity) might be reasons for the differences in their migration behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Wang
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China; National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 491 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
| | - Youyi Ni
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Wu Men
- School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Ningliu Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210044, China
| | - Zhongtang Wang
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Min Liu
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Detao Xiao
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Jian Zheng
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 491 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
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Zheng J, Tagami K, Uchida S, Shibutani S, Ishida K, Hamamoto T. Soil-soil solution distribution coefficients of global fallout 239Pu and 237Np in Japanese paddy soils. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 291:132775. [PMID: 34752838 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132775] [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: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
239Pu and 237Np are long-lived radionuclides that emit alpha rays, and once released into the environment, they are present there for a long period of time. Therefore,239Pu and 237Np are important radionuclides in the safety assessment related to geological disposal of radioactive waste because of the possibility of long-term exposure to humans. Mobilities of these radionuclides in the environment are of particular interest; therefore, in this study, we have made the first-time determination of the soil-soil solution distribution coefficient (Kd, L/kg) using global fallout 239Pu and 237Np in soil. The Kd values were determined by extracting these radionuclides from 23 soil samples using a laboratory batch method. The desorption Kd values of 239Pu were found to vary from 3.2 × 103 to 1.4 × 105 L/kg, and their geometric mean (GM) and arithmetic mean (AM) were 2.3 × 104 L/kg and 3.2 × 104 L/kg, respectively. The desorption Kd values of 237Np ranged from 8.9 × 102 to 2.1 × 104 L/kg, and their GM and AM were 4.1 × 103 L/kg and 6.4 × 103 L/kg, respectively. A comparison between the obtained Kd values of 239Pu and 237Np indicated that the former were about 6-fold higher than the latter in Japanese paddy field soils. Pearson's correlation analysis suggested that the main factors contributing to the sorption and desorption of Pu isotopes in Japanese paddy soils were related to the amounts of Fe and Mn oxides, while the sorption and desorption of 237Np in them would be controlled by an ion-exchange reaction, and/or complex-formation with organic matter, especially in Fluvisols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zheng
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institute for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
| | - Keiko Tagami
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institute for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Shigeo Uchida
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institute for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Sanae Shibutani
- Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, 4-1-23 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0014, Japan
| | - Keisuke Ishida
- Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, 4-1-23 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0014, Japan
| | - Takafumi Hamamoto
- Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, 4-1-23 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-0014, Japan
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7
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Xu Y, Li C, Yu H, Fang F, Hou X, Zhang C, Li X, Xing S. Rapid determination of plutonium isotopes in small samples using single anion exchange separation and ICP-MS/MS measurement in NH 3-He mode for sediment dating. Talanta 2021; 240:123152. [PMID: 34942475 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.123152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
To accurately determine ultra-trace Pu isotopes in small environmental samples, we explored ICP-MS/MS in NH3-He mode, and investigated mechanism of 238U interference removal and measurement sensitivity improvement for plutonium isotopes. The interference of uranium and uranium hydrides was effectively eliminated using 0.4 mL/min NH3 as reaction gas by shifting them to U(NHm)n+ and UH(NHm)n+. The overall interference of uranium was reduced to <2.4 × 10-7, while remaining excellent 239Pu sensitivity (13,900 Mcps/(mg/L)) mainly due to ion focusing effect of Pu by helium gas. On this basis, the purification of plutonium using a single AG1- × 4 column was proved to be sufficient for accurate determination of plutonium isotopes by the developed detection method, and the detection limits for the method were estimated to be 0.16 fg (0.4 μBq) for 239Pu, 0.046 fg (0.4 μBq) for 240Pu and 0.039 fg (0.15 mBq) for 241Pu. The method was validated by analyzing plutonium isotopes in certificated reference materials and reported environmental samples of only 1-2 g. The analytical results of ultra-trace Pu isotopes in small amounts (∼1 g) of lake sediments obtained by the developed method were successfully applied to sediment dating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihong Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Regional Response in the Yangtze Huaihe River Basin, School of Geography and Tourism, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China.
| | - Chen Li
- The Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Regional Response in the Yangtze Huaihe River Basin, School of Geography and Tourism, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Haiping Yu
- The Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Regional Response in the Yangtze Huaihe River Basin, School of Geography and Tourism, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Fengman Fang
- The Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Regional Response in the Yangtze Huaihe River Basin, School of Geography and Tourism, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Xiaolin Hou
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Environmental Engineering, Risø Campus, Roskilde, DK-4000, Denmark; State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Regional Response in the Yangtze Huaihe River Basin, School of Geography and Tourism, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Xiaofei Li
- The Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Regional Response in the Yangtze Huaihe River Basin, School of Geography and Tourism, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Shan Xing
- China Institute for Radiation Protection, Taiyuan, 030000, China.
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A simple acid digestion using HCl–HNO3−NH4HF2 for rapid SF-ICP-MS determination of 237Np and Pu isotopes in steel and concrete samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-021-07825-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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9
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Wang C, Zheng G, Pang H, Luo Z, Chen R, Hao W, Yin Y, Chen L, Wang Z, Liu R. ICP-MS based on-line monitoring of Pu-239 airborne concentration. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2020; 40:827-834. [PMID: 32544894 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ab9d73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
An online monitoring technology of Pu-239 aerosol based on aerosol direct introduction device, membrane desolvation nebuliser and ICP-MS was established for workplaces of reprocessing plants. Briefly, 0.8 l min-1 Pu-239 aerosol from the workplace was introduced into the aerosol direct introduction device where the air was replaced by Argon, and then the aerosol was introduced into the ICP-MS for measurement. To determine the activity of Pu-239 aerosol, 1.10E-3 Bq ml-1 Pu-242 standard solution generated by a membrane desolvation nebuliser was used. The introduction efficiency of the nebuliser was determined by sampling the aerosol generated from the nebuliser with Lead Standard Solution by glass fiber filter, which was (26.82 ± 3.33) %. The mass bias between Pu-239 and Pu-242 for the ICP-MS measurement was determined by Pu-239 and Pu-242 standard solutions generated by the nebuliser, and mass discrimination correction factor for Pu-239/Pu-242 was 0.972 ± 0.010. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of this system were calculated according to the ISO 20 899:2018, which were 2.24E-05 Bq m-3 and 7.45E-05 Bq m-3 with 1 min measurement. The main interference which was from U-238 was determined by U-238 standard solution generated by the nebuliser, and the interferences of U-238 to 239 was (8.50 ± 1.05) E-05. According to the counts of U-238 from several workplaces of reprocessing plant where this system was tested, 239 counts rate from the interferences of U-238 of those workplaces were at the same level of the system background counts, which meant that the LOD above was suitable for those places.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuangao Wang
- Department of Radiation Safety, China Institute of Atomic Energy, Fangshan District, Beijing 102413, People's Republic of China
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Huang Z, Ni Y, Wang H, Zheng J, Yamazaki S, Sakaguchi A, Long X, Uchida S. Simultaneous determination of ultra-trace level 237Np and Pu isotopes in soil and sediment samples by SF-ICP-MS with a single column chromatographic separation. Microchem J 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2019.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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11
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Ni Y, Wang Z, Zheng J, Tagami K, Guo Q, Uchida S, Tsukada H. The transfer of fallout plutonium from paddy soil to rice: A field study in Japan. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2019; 196:22-28. [PMID: 30368198 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Reported transfer factor (TF) values of Pu from paddy soil to rice are rather scarce, despite the radiotoxicity of Pu and the irreplaceable role of rice in Asian peoples' diets. Here, we conducted a field study to investigate the transfer of global fallout Pu from paddy soil to rice grain (hulled rice) in Japan. The 240Pu/239Pu atomic ratios in two rice grain samples out of 16 samples were determined and the ratios corresponded well with the global fallout value. The soil-to-rice TFPu in 12 Japanese prefectures ranged from 4.5 × 10-6 to 1.2 × 10-4 with a geometric mean of 3.3 × 10-5. The TFs of rice obtained in this study were compatible to the TFs for the broad heading "cereals" compiled in the IAEA Technical Report Series No. 472. Weak correlations were found between the TF and the investigated soil characteristics such as soil pH and loss on ignition. Regarding the TFs for cerium (Ce) and thorium (Th) which are commonly considered as Pu analogues, we observed no significant correlations between the log(TFPu) and log(TFCe) or log(TFPu) and log(TFTh). On the other hand, interestingly, a significantly positive correlation (r = 0.795, p < 0.001) was observed between log(TFPu) and log(TFU). In view of the observed similarity of TF values for U and Pu from soil to rice, we thought that using the easy-to-measure TFU to estimate TFPu from soil to rice might be suggested although the mechanism was unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youyi Ni
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan; State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Zhongtang Wang
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Jian Zheng
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
| | - Keiko Tagami
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Qiuju Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Shigeo Uchida
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Tsukada
- Institute of Environmental Radioecology, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan
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12
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Establishing rapid analysis of Pu isotopes in seawater to study the impact of Fukushima nuclear accident in the Northwest Pacific. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1892. [PMID: 29382952 PMCID: PMC5789979 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20151-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to assess the impact of the Fukushima derived Pu isotopes on seawater, a new analytical method to rapidly determine Pu isotopes in seawater by SF-ICP-MS including Fe(OH)2 primary co-precipitation, CaF2/LaF3 secondary co-precipitation and TEVA+UTEVA+DGA extraction chromatographic separation was established. High concentration efficiency (~100%) and high U decontamination factor (~107) were achieved. The plutonium chemical recoveries were 74–88% with the mean of 83 ± 5%. The precisions for both 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios and 239+240Pu activity concentrations were less than 5% when 15 L of seawater samples with the typical 239+240Pu activity of the Northwest Pacific were measured. It just needs 12 hours to determine plutonium using this new method. The limit of detection (LOD) for 239Pu and 240Pu were both 0.08 fg/mL, corresponding to 0.01 mBq/m3 for 239Pu and 0.05 mBq/m3 for 240Pu when a 15 L volume of seawater was measured. This method was applied to determine the seawater samples collected 446–1316 km off the FDNPP accident site in the Northwest Pacific in July of 2013. The obtained 239+240Pu activity concentrations of 1.21–2.19 mBq/m3 and the 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios of 0.198–0.322 suggested that there was no significant Pu contamination from the accident to the Northwest Pacific.
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13
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Comparisons of soil pretreatment methods for SF-ICP-MS determination of ultra-trace level plutonium in water soluble and exchangeable fractions. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-018-5700-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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14
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Extraction behaviors of interfering elements on TRU and DGA resins for 241Am determination by mass spectrometry. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-017-5196-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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15
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Wang Z, Zheng J, Ni Y, Men W, Tagami K, Uchida S. High-Performance Method for Determination of Pu Isotopes in Soil and Sediment Samples by Sector Field-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2017; 89:2221-2226. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongtang Wang
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Jian Zheng
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Youyi Ni
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
- State
Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wu Men
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Keiko Tagami
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Shigeo Uchida
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
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16
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Wang Z, Zheng J, Cao L, Tagami K, Uchida S. Method for Ultratrace Level 241Am Determination in Large Soil Samples by Sector Field-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry: With Emphasis on the Removal of Spectral Interferences and Matrix Effect. Anal Chem 2016; 88:7387-94. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b01934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongtang Wang
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Jian Zheng
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Liguo Cao
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
- School
of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Keiko Tagami
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Shigeo Uchida
- Biospheric
Assessment for Waste Disposal Team, National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
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17
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Montaño MD, Olesik JW, Barber AG, Challis K, Ranville JF. Single Particle ICP-MS: Advances toward routine analysis of nanomaterials. Anal Bioanal Chem 2016; 408:5053-74. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-016-9676-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 05/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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