137Cs and 239,240Pu activity concentrations distribution in waterlogged and non-boggy soils of Lithuania (original) (raw)
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Downward migration of Chernobyl-derived radionuclides in soils in Poland and Sweden
Applied Geochemistry, 2011
The Chernobyl accident on April 26, 1986 resulted in significant fallout of radionuclides such as 137 Cs and 239,240 Pu on surface soils throughout northern Europe. Knowledge of the dynamics and mechanisms of the migration of these radionuclides in soils is important for determining animal and human dose exposure rates, determining exposure from food-chain transfer, and in planning environmental remediation and clean-up. In addition, both natural ( 7 Be, 210 Pb xs ) and anthropogenic ( 137 Cs, 239,240 Pu) fallout radionuclides have been extensively employed to determine short-term soil erosion rates, to trace sediment source regions, to characterize and quantify erosion mechanisms, to constrain sediment budgets, and to better understand the delivery ratios, transit distance and transit time of fine sediment and adsorbed pollutants. Despite the use of these radionuclides and their activity-depth profiles, little is known about how the profile shapes develop or why they differ with location. There is a substantial amount of information that is embedded in the distribution of radionuclides with depth that could be extracted to refine our ability to understand significant radiochemical behavior, to predict dose exposure rates, to better plan environmental remediation, to use these and other radionuclides to understand soil erosion mechanisms, to identify sediment source areas and to calculate watershed inventories and residence times for better understanding of watershed retention and erosion processes. Moreover, ignoring this evidence may lead to a real risk of drawing incorrect conclusions from an incomplete understanding of the radionuclide profiles.
scientific article, 2014
Distributions of 239,240Pu, 238Pu and 137Cs activity concentrations in the cores of sediments in the shallow lake, flooded and upland forest soils taken in the vicinity of Vilnius city were analyzed. The radiochemical, alpha-spectrometric and mass spectrometric methods were used for the plutonium evaluation and c-spectrometry was used for the radiocesium evaluation. The only peak of enhanced radionuclide activity concentrations was determined for the lake bottomsediments, whereas vertical profiles of the radionuclide activity concentrations in flooded and upland forest soil cores were distinguished by two peaks. The obtained values of the activity concentration ratio 238Pu/239,240Pu and the isotopic ratio 240Pu/239Pu indicated that the global fallout was a source of plutonium in the investigated environment. Chernobyl derived radiocesium was detected solely in the surface layers (2–11 cm) of the studied sample cores.The contribution of the Chernobyl deposits amounted to about 2.26, 6.11 and 20.9 % of the total radiocesiuminventory in the bottom sediments, the upland soil and flooded soil, respectively.
RAD Conference Proceedings, 2016
In this study we investigated artificial (137 Cs, 90 Sr) and natural (40 K) radioisotopes' vertical distribution in different usage soils. Soil samples were collected in Lithuanian territory, which was, after the nuclear weapons and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) accident, contaminated with artificial radionuclides. For the study, three places were selected, taking into account human activities and radioactive environmental contamination (Neris Regional Park, a field near the Ignalina nuclear power plant and a field in a village in Ukmergė district). In addition, we analysed the soil organic matter, which determines the amount of nutrients, water infiltration, ion exchange, adsorption of pollutants. Studies show that in those places the predominant soil type is sandy loam, with soil mineralization rate close to 1. In the village place and the regional park place (respectively Jogvilai and Paaliosė areas), 137 Cs specific activity decreases exponentially. However in the village place (Paaliosė), at 10-15 cm soil depth, there is a noticeable increase in the specific activity of 137 Cs, associated with the former nuclear weapons test contamination. 40 K changes the specific activity of the soil samples taken from the depth in all areas. In the village place (Paaliosė), and the field near the Ignalina nuclear power plant (Stabatiškės), 40 K specific activity decrease with the increase of depth was observed, and in the field in the village in Ukmergė district (Jogvilai) it was vice versawith the increase of depth, 40 K specific activity increases. The average 90 Sr radionuclides in the soil are 6,4±1,1 Bq/kg (in the village place (Paaliosė)) 6,4±2,0 Bq/kg (field near Ignalina nuclear power plant) and 11,3±1,7 Bq / kg (the field in the village in Ukmergė district).
Radionuclides 137Cs and 40K in the soils of the Tatra National Park (TPN, Poland)
Nukleonika, 2010
Among the radioisotopes, one could distinguish some that are natural and those, which are derived from human activities (artificial isotopes). In the earth crust, there are about 60 natural radionuclides, and additionally few of them are generated by cosmic radiation [6]. Artificial radionuclides are produced by nuclear weapon tests (mostly performed in the atmosphere), nuclear industry (neutron activation in reactors) and as the result of accidents of nuclear power plants. The most serious event occurred in the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in April 1986. The reactor was destroyed and the amounts of radioactive material (more than 1019 Bq in total) were released to the environment [7, 12, 19]. The radioactive gases and airborne particles released in the accident were initially carried by the wind in westerly and northerly directions. The pattern contamination from radionuclides was divided into two types: drop condensing mode and “fuel-like” drop mode [9]. The radioactive fuel-like dro...
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2020
Activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K, and 137 Cs in soil samples collected at Mount Rainier National Park and Satsop Nuclear Power Plant zone in State of Washington (USA) and Curonian Spit National Park and Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant zone in Lithuania have been measured by gamma spectrometry. The results have been compared with the worldwide measured average values reported by the UNSCEAR. Higher activity concentrations of 137 Cs were found in Curonian Spit National Park due to Chernobyl accident fallout. The radium equivalent activity (Ra eq), the external hazard index (H ex), the internal hazard index (H in), the absorbed dose rate (D), and the annual effective dose rate (AEDR) were also calculated and compared with the international recommended values. These calculated hazard indices used to estimate the potential radiological health risk in soil and the dose rate associated with it are below their permissible limit.
In the region of Hamburg 30 soil profiles have been sampled layerwise and measured by gammaspectrometry. The sites comprise forest as well as agricultural soils, different Soil orders and texture. From the results for 137 Cs and 134 Cs the deposition by the Chernobyl fallout and by the atom bomb tests of the fifties are calculated. The recent deposition of 137 Cs is between 1300 and 6300 Bq m -2 . The maximum of initial penetration of the isotopes into the soil was 15 cm. Few results of a later sampling indicate translocation processes. The possible reasons for the large variations of the results are discussed. For comparability of results between different laboratories a uniform sampling is recommended. The advantages of layerwise sampling are discussed. Dose calculations amount to a maximum of 15 mSv accumulated over the next 50 years, due to external irradiation of 137 Cs and 134 Cs from the soil surface only. A more realistic estimation gives 0.3 to 0.7 mSv for adults and 0.7 to l mSv for pre-school children.
Ukrainian Journal of Ecology, 2021
The territories of Bila Tserkva district, located in the northeastern part of the right-bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, have been studied. This area is dominated by chernozems that are typically low-humus. In vegetable crops grown in Yosypivka and Tarasivka of Bila Tserkva district, which was exposed to radioactive contamination and is located in the southern part of Kyiv region, Central Forest-Steppe Ukraine, contamination of 137 Cs and 90 Sr were determined. The content of 137Cs and 90Sr in soils was studied, and the density of pollution of privately-owned vegetable plots in these villages was calculated. The transition coefficients of 137Cs and 90Sr radionuclides from the soil of typical chernozem into plants, in particular cucumbers, potatoes, onions, beets, carrots, tomatoes, and white cabbage, have been calculated and established, which makes it possible to calculate the transfer coefficients to vegetable crops to be grown in radioactively contaminated areas of the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Reducing 137Cs and 90Sr radionuclides from soil to vegetable crops is one of the leading agricultural production tasks on lands contaminated with radionuclides. These studies make it possible to elucidate the current state of migration of these radionuclides in the "soil-plant" link of agroecosystems of the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine for further forecasting.
E3S Web of Conferences
The results of a study of the content of natural radionuclides (NR) (226Ra, 232Th, 40K) and technogenic 137Cs in soil samples formed on the most common types of soil-forming rocks of the North-West: lakeglacial (non-boulder and tape clay), glacial and water-glacial deposits are presented. Soil sections laid in the Pskov, Novgorod and Leningrad regions. The granulometric composition in the upper part of the soil profile is lighter than in the parent rock. This is reflected in the NR content in the profile of these soils: with a decrease in the fractions of physical clay and silt, the content of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K decreases. This is due to the fixation of natural radionuclides by secondary clay minerals. According to the increase in the average specific activity of all NRs, the soils form the following sequence: soils on water-glacial deposits soils on moraines - soils on lake-glacial deposits. A comparison of the average specific activity of natural radionuclides and their ranges i...