Dose assessment for marine biota and humans from discharge of (131)I to the marine environment and uptake by algae in Sydney, Australia

Iodine-131 reaches the marine environment through its excretion to the sewer by nuclear medicine patients followed by discharge through coastal and deepwater outfalls. ¹³¹I has been detected in macroalgae, which bio-accumulate iodine, growing near the coastal outfall of Cronulla sewage treatment plant (STP) since 1995. During this study, ¹³¹I levels in liquid effluent and sludge from three Sydney STPs as well as in macroalgae (Ulva sp. and Ecklonia radiata) growing near their shoreline outfalls were measured. Concentration factors of 176 for Ulva sp. and 526 for E. radiata were derived. Radiation dose rates to marine biota from ¹³¹I discharged to coastal waters calculated using the ERICA dose assessment tool were below the ERICA screening level of 10 μGy/hr. Radiation dose rates to humans from immersion in seawater or consumption of Ulva sp. containing ¹³¹I were three and two orders of magnitude below the IAEA screening level of 10 μSv/year, respectively.     

A new approach to assessment and management of the impact from medical liquid radioactive waste

The Swedish regulations concerning disposal of clinical radioactive waste are currently under revision and a graded approach is proposed for risk limitation purposes. To assist the revision procedures, a screening study was performed to estimate public exposures from liquid releases from hospitals to public sewers. The results showed that doses to sewage workers were above the dose constraint of 100muSva(-1) especially for (131)I and (99m)Tc. Hence, a dynamic model, LUCIA, was developed for realistic assessments in which radionuclide transportation in sewers was modelled. Probabilistic simulations were performed to obtain probability distributions of radionuclide concentrations in sludge. Concurrently, estimates of the effective doses to sewage workers decreased significantly and were below 10muSva(-1) except for (111)In and (131)I. However, the Kd-coefficients representing the partition of radioactivity between water and sludge in sewers are highly uncertain for (111)In. As shown by sensitivity studies, these values are the major determinant of the exposures in sewers.     

Medical radioisotopes in the environment – following the pathway from patient to river sediment

Motivated by the detection of ¹³¹I in river sediment in routine long-term surveillance samples, a systematic short-term study of the wastewater treatment chain was planned and conducted. Inflow, effluent and primary sludge were collected on a daily basis during two weeks at a regional wastewater treatment plant. Samples were investigated by gamma spectroscopy. Four medically used isotopes could be identified (¹³¹I and ^99mTc regularly, ¹⁵³Sm and ¹²³I sporadically). The concentration levels coincide well with literature data for ¹³¹I, and with our own long-term data for ¹³¹I and ^99mTc for the same plant. Cosmogenic ⁷Be activity in primary sludge correlated well with rainfall intensity. Surface sediment was sampled at low tide at both shores of the river, up- and downstream of the plant. ¹³¹I was identified in all samples, with a sharp maximum (about 100 Bq kg⁻¹ d.m.) at the discharge point of the plant and lower levels elsewhere, decreasing monotonically in downstream direction. ⁷Be and ¹³⁷Cs showed the same behaviour, but no peak at the discharge point. Predictions from simple equilibrium models for the transport and sedimentation of ¹³¹I show good agreement with the experimental data and suggest that the wastewater treatment plant is the main source for this isotope.     

Arrival time and magnitude of airborne fission products from the Fukushima, Japan, reactor incident as measured in Seattle, WA, USA

We report results of air monitoring started due to the recent natural catastrophe on 11 March 2011 in Japan and the severe ensuing damage to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactor complex. On 17-18 March 2011, we registered the first arrival of the airborne fission products ¹³¹I, ¹³²I, ¹³²Te, ¹³⁴Cs, and ¹³⁷Cs in Seattle, WA, USA, by identifying their characteristic gamma rays using a germanium detector. We measured the evolution of the activities over a period of 23 days at the end of which the activities had mostly fallen below our detection limit. The highest detected activity from radionuclides attached to particulate matter amounted to 4.4 ± 1.3 mBq m⁻³ of ¹³¹I on 19-20 March.     

从气溶胶微物理属性分析冬季重庆地区霾的垂直分布特征

采用2007~2011年冬季(12月~次年2月)CALIPSO星载激光雷达L1监测数据,通过分析532 nm总后向散射系数、体积退偏比和色比,对重庆地区冬季霾期间气溶胶光学和微物理特性的垂直分布进行了研究。结果表明:重庆地区冬季霾期间,大气散射能力随高度减弱,在0~1 km高度最强;各高度层气溶胶粒子规则性与粒径大小的分布情况与全年总体分布情况基本相同,但变化趋势单调性更强,0~1 km高度层规则的、大颗粒气溶胶所占比例最大,3~4 km高度不规则的、小颗粒气溶胶所占比例最大;年际变化上,气溶胶散射强度逐年增强,其中2008~2010年变化较小,2011年明显增强;各年均以规则的、小颗粒气溶胶为主,2011年不规则气溶胶所占比例最大,而大颗粒气溶胶所占比例逐年增大。     

Heavy metals in mullet, Liza abu, and catfish, Silurus triostegus, from the Atatürk Dam Lake (Euphrates), Turkey

The distribution of some heavy metals in three different organs of mullet, Liza abu, and catfish, Silurus triostegus, from Atatürk Dam Lake located on Euphrates (Turkey) was studied. Co and Mo concentrations were below limits of detection in all fish organs, whereas Ni was also below limits in organs of mullet. The metal accumulation in the liver and gill of L. abu and S. triostegus was found to be quite high in comparison with the muscle. In general, the concentrations are similar to those previously observed on other fish studied in Atatürk Dam Lake and lower than those determined in Tigris River. The analysed metals (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni and Zn) were found in fish muscle at mean concentrations under the permissible limits proposed by FAO.     

Uptake and depuration of 131I by the edible periwinkle Littorina littorea: uptake from seawater

Uptake and depuration experiments for the edible periwinkle Littorina littorea have been performed using 131I-labelled seawater. Throughout the experimental phase the winkles were fed on unlabelled Chondrus crispus. 131I concentrations in winkles during uptake followed linear first-order kinetics with an uptake half-time of 11 days, whereas for depuration a triphasic sequence with biological half-lives of 4, 23 and 56 days was determined. In general, iodine turnover in winkles via labelled seawater appears to be slower than observed for other molluscs (2-3 days). Most of the activity prior to and after depuration is found to be in the shell, with indications that shell and soft parts accumulate and depurate 131I at a similar rate. The operculum displays the highest specific activity of all fractions with a concentration factor of 750 l kg(-1). Concentration factors for whole winkle, shell, soft parts and digestive gland are in the order of 40-60 l kg(-1), higher than the IAEA recommended CF value for iodine in molluscs of 10 l kg(-1). The 131I CF in winkles is closer to that of the conservative radionuclides 99Tc and 137Cs than the CF of the particle reactive radionuclides (239,240)Pu and 241Am.     

Tropospheric and stratospheric distributions of radioactive iodine and cesium after the Chernobyl accident

Concentrations of ¹³¹I and ^134,136,137Cs in tropospheric and stratospheric air were determined over Poland during the first three weeks after the Chernobyl accident. Large amounts of activity were found at the higher levels of the troposphere up to 9 km. In the stratosphere, the activities at 15 km were usually about 1 to 6% of ground-level values.     

Concentrations of 131I in the urine of Japanese adults and children following the Chernobyl nuclear accident

Iodine-131 in urine samples from 15 Japanese subjects was determined during the period 4 to 29 May 1986. In a male adult, the peak concentration (3.3 Bq dm⁻³) was observed on 9 May, the levels decreasing thereafter to less than the detection limit by 29 May. The highest concentration observed was 7.6 Bq dm⁻³ in a female adult. The urinary concentrations in the 11 adult subjects appeared to correlate with consumption of green leafy vegetables and milk. In four children, 6 to 14 years old, ¹³¹I concentrations in urine were generally higher than those of the adults. The major source of ¹³¹I intake was confirmed to be from vegetables, not milk.     

Dioxin and dioxin-like PCB profiles in the serum of industrial and municipal waste incinerator workers in Korea

To assess occupational exposure, we determined the concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in human serum samples from 26 incinerator workers (10 industrial waste and 16 municipal solid waste incinerator workers), 38 residents near the facilities and 7 inhabitants (as control subjects) living over 10 km away from any incinerator facilities in Korea. The mean TEQ_WHO levels of PCDD/Fs in the industrial and MSWI workers were 41.57 and 9.86 pg TEQ_WHO g^? 1 lipid, respectively. For the residents, the mean TEQ_WHO was 13.47 pg TEQ_WHO g^? 1 lipid (residents near IWI, MSWI, and control subjects: 17.64, 13.31, and 6.91 pg TEQ_WHO g^? 1 lipid). Higher levels of certain PCDD/F congeners, mainly PCDFs, were detected in the serum of industrial incinerator workers in comparison to the levels measured in the residents. Significant differences were observed for PCDFs, the major compounds were OCDF, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF, and the minor components 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDF, 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDF, and 2,3,4,6,7,8-HxCDF (p < 0.01). The PCDD/F congener patterns and concentrations measured in the 71 serum samples examined suggest that the industrial incinerator workers were exposed to PCDD/Fs in the workplace, possibly through inhalation and/or skin contact. In contrast, the levels and congener patterns of PCBs measured were similar in all subjects, indicating that workers from the incinerator facilities examined were not subjected to additional exposure to these compounds.     

城郊农田土壤Pb、Cd的空间变异与评价研究

为了研究城郊区域农田土壤重金属的空间分布特征与质量状况,采用ArcGIS缓冲分析和地统计分析模型分析了长沙城郊农田土壤Pb、Cd的空间变异规律;运用单因子评价法对土壤Pb、Cd的质量状况进行了现状评价;采用Hakanson法对农田土壤Pb、Cd进行了潜在生态风险评价。结果表明,土壤Pb、Cd含量大部分处于Ⅰ级水平（背景状况）,但两种元素均存在不同程度的累积,尤其是Cd的累积程度更为突出。土壤Pb、Cd的平均含量在20km以内、20～40、40～60 km的缓冲区由近至远均呈下降趋势,表明城市人类活动在一定空间尺度内对城郊区农田土壤Pb、Cd含量有较大影响;通过半变异函数分析,土壤Pb、Cd在较大范围内存在空间相关性,Pb和Cd的空间变异均是由结构性因素和随机性因素共同作用引起的。Pb、Cd的单项累积指数和潜在生态危害系数均呈现出近郊>远郊>中郊的趋势,各区域土壤Cd的潜在生态危害趋势较土壤Pb更明显,城市近郊南北方向区域及远郊局部工矿聚集区是农田土壤Pb、Cd的累积程度和污染风险较高的区域     

Atmospheric bulk deposition to the Lagoon of Venice Part II. Source apportionment analysis near the industrial zone of Porto Marghera, Italy

Multivariate statistical analyses were applied to measurements of atmospheric deposition of total particulate (TSP), inorganic elements (Al, Ca, Na, K, Mg, Si, Mn, Fe, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, Cd, As, Hg, V and S) and organic compounds (PAH, PCB, HCB and PCDD/F) collected in four stations, all located in the Lagoon of Venice. Aerosols at the scale of the basin (i.e., within a distance of 20 km) were mainly characterised by two end-members, one natural (composed of mineral particulate and marine spray) and one anthropogenic (with at least two different source components), affecting the sites in various ways. Variability at the two distant (>20 km) sites (Valle Dogà, Valle Figheri) was mainly due to natural components, whereas the other two stations (city of Venice, Dogaletto, approximately 5 km) were mainly impacted by industrial (and urban) sources. Total annual inputs were compared with the limits recently set by law (maximum allowed discharge=MAD). In the year of study, MAD values were exceeded for total As, Cd, Hg, Pb, dissolved Zn, PAH and PCDD/F. These results indicate that industrial sources gave rise to a quasi-permanent compositional (background) effect near the industrial area. The risk associated with atmospheric deposition should be quantified within the DSPIR framework to avoid future negative consequences in populations living in the vicinity of Porto Marghera.     

Fukushima fallout in Northwest German environmental media

Traces of short- and long-lived fallout isotopes (¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs) were found in environmental samples collected in Northwest Germany (rain water, river sediment, soil, grass and cow milk) from March to May 2011, following the radioactivity releases after the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan. The measured concentrations are consistent with reported concentrations in air, amount of rainfall and expected values applying simple radioecological models. The [¹³⁴Cs]/[¹³⁷Cs] ratio reported for air (about 1) allows for discrimination between “recent” and “old” ¹³⁷Cs. Expected ¹³⁶Cs values fell below the detection limits of the instrumentation, despite large sample masses and long counting times.     

Radioecological characterization of a uranium mining site located in a semi-arid region in Brazil

The work presents the radioecological characterization of the new Brazilian uranium mining and milling site located in a semi-arid region of the country. The process characterization demonstrated that in heap leach plants most of the 226Ra remains in the leached ore. Despite the potential higher availability of radium isotopes in the soils of the studied region the lack of precipitation in that area reduces the leaching/mobilization of the radionuclides. High 226Ra and 228Ra concentrations were found in manioc while 210Pb was significant in pasture. It was suggested that a range from 10(-3) to 10(-1) may conveniently encompass most of the transfer factors (TF) values for soil/plant systems (i.e. involving different cultures, different soils and natural radionuclides). Impacts due to aerial transportation of aerosols and radon generated in the mining were proved to be minimal and restricted to an area not greater than 15 km2. Finally, uranium complexation by carbonates was shown to be the main mechanism responding for the elevated radionuclide concentration in groundwater.     

Toxicity evaluation of sewage sludges in Hong Kong.

Anaerobically digested sewage sludges collected from four wastewater treatment plants located in Sha Tin, Tai Po, Yuen Long, and Shek Wu Hui in Hong Kong were subjected to chemical characterization and toxicity testing to provide preliminary assessment of their suitability for land application. All sewage sludges were slightly alkaline with pH range of 8.3-8.7. Electrical conductivity (EC; 0.69 dS m(-1)) and soluble NH4-N content (996 mg kg(-1)) of sewage sludge from Yuen Long were lower than that of other plants. Concentrations of heavy metals were determined as total, extractable, and water-soluble fraction using mixed acid digestion, DTPA (pH 7.3), and distilled water, respectively. Yuen Long sludge was most polluted with Zn and Cr higher than the pollutant concentration limits listed in Part 503 of USEPA, owing to the effluent coming from the tannery industry. High concentration of Ni was found in sludge from Sha Tin that originated mainly from the electroplating industry. DTPA-extractable Zn contents were high in sludges from Yuen Long (1247 mg kg(-1)) and Shek Wu Hui (892 mg kg(-1)), while 3.7 mg kg(-1) of DTPA-extractable Cr was found in Yuen Long sludge. Metal speciation of sludges showed that Pb was major in residual phase while Cu, Cr, and Ni in organic and residual phases, and Zn did not show any dominant chemical phase. The sludge extracts did not exert significant adverse effect on seed germination of Brassica chinensis (Chinese cabbage), but Yuen Long sludge caused a reduction in root growth. In view of its lower EC and soluble ammonia contents, the high concentration of Zn and Cr in Yuen Long sludge would likely be responsible for this adverse effect on root growth. Therefore, Yuen Long sludge would likely have a more serious impact on soil quality and plant growth as compared to other sludges. This would require further verification from greenhouse and field experiments.     

Heavy metal contamination by Al-fabrication plants in Hong Kong

Leaf samples of six plant species collected from locations near the Al-fabrication plants in Sai Kung, Hong Kong were found to be heavily contaminated by Al, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu and Zn, as determined by inductively — coupled plasma emission spectrophotometer (ICP). Studies using scanning electron microscope incorporated with X-ray microanalyzer showed that significant amounts of dust, with elevated concentrations of heavy metals, were deposited on the leaf surface. The stomatal pores were partially plugged and the guard cells were distorted. The amount of dust deposition and metal contamination varied significantly among different species. Lantana camara had the highest concentrations of all metals. Washing with deionized water could remove the surficial dust particles and reduce the metal contamination, with a degree of effectiveness depending on plant species and metal species. About 50% of Al and other metals were removed from leaves of L. camara and Fiscus variegata by washing, whereas only 20% removal was recorded in Bauhina variegata, the species had the least dust deposition. The soil samples and Al wastes collected from the same sites also exhibited higher values of total metal concentrations than the control. However, the contents of extractable metals were extremely low and were almost below the limits of detection. Experimental data further suggested that the source of leaf metals was mainly accumulated from metal-enriched aerosols, either from Al-fabrication plants or from automobile exhausts, and contribution from soil was relatively unimportant.     

Water to atmosphere fluxes of 131I in relation with alkyl-iodide compounds from the Seine Estuary (France)

This study presents an original work on measurements of stable and radioactive iodinated species in the Seine estuary (France), with estimates fluxes of volatile gaseous species from water to the atmosphere. Various iodinated compounds were identified in water and air in particular 131I in water, what is unusual. Concentrations and behaviour of iodinated elements in the Seine estuary seem similar to what has been observed in other European estuaries. MeI (Methyl Iodide) and Total Volatile Iodine (TVI) fluxes from water to air vary between 392 and 13949 pmol m(-2) d(-1) and between 1279 and 16484 pmol m(-2) d(-1), respectively. Water to air flux of TVI for the Seine river was estimated in the range 4-46 kg y(-1). Measurements of (131)I in water varying between 0.4 and 11.9 Bq m(-3). Fluxes of (131)I from water to atmosphere are in the range 2.4 x 10(5)-1.3 x 10(7)Bq y(-1), close to an annual discharge of (131)I by a nuclear reactor.     

Determination of 129I/127I in aerosol samples in Seville (Spain)

In this work we present results of the (129)I/(127)I ratio in aerosols of Seville, Southwest of Spain (37.4 degrees N,6 degrees W). A radiochemical method is applied to extract the iodine from the aerosols and prepare samples to be measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at the ETH facility in Zürich. We have found the possibility of monitoring the (129)I/(127)I isotopic ratio on a two-days basis with sensitivities in the order of 10(4)-10(5) atoms (129)I/m(3), and values of 10(-8)-10(-9) for the isotopic ratio.     

Exposure to emissions from municipal solid waste incinerators and miscarriages: A multisite study of the MONITER Project

BackgroundMiscarriages are an important indicator of reproductive health but only few studies have analyzed their association with exposure to emissions from municipal solid waste incinerators.This study analyzed the occurrence of miscarriages in women aged 15–49 years residing near seven incinerators of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Northern Italy) in the period 2002–2006.MethodsWe considered all pregnancies occurring in women residing during the first trimester of pregnancy within a 4 km radius of each incinerator. Addresses were geocoded and exposures were characterized by a dispersion model (ADMS Urban model) producing pollution maps for incinerators based on PM₁₀ stack measurements and for other pollution sources based on NO_x ground measurements. Information on pregnancies and their outcomes was obtained from the Hospital Discharge Database. Simplified True Abortion Risks (STAR) × 100 estimated pregnancies were calculated. We ran logistic regressions adjusting for maternal characteristics, exposure to other sources of pollution, and sites, considering the whole population and stratifying by miscarriage history.ResultsThe study analyzed 11,875 pregnancies with 1375 miscarriages. After adjusting for confounders, an increase of PM₁₀ due to incinerator emissions was associated with an increased risk of miscarriage (test for trend, p = 0.042). The odds ratio for the highest quartile of exposed versus not exposed women was 1.29, 95% CI 0.97–1.72. The effect was present only for women without previous miscarriages (highest quartile of exposed versus not exposed women 1.44, 95% CI 1.06–1.96; test for trend, p = 0.009).ConclusionExposure to incinerator emissions is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. This result should be interpreted with those of a previous study on reproductive health conducted in the same area that observed an association between incinerator exposure and preterm births.     

巢湖流域丰乐河洪水事件营养盐输出动态研究

洪水期是非点源污染输出的关键时期。通过对巢湖典型农业型流域丰乐河桃溪断面两次暴雨洪水过程（发生于2010年6月初的Event06和8月底的Event08）进行集中取样监测,结合该断面流量数据,分析了洪水过程中氮和磷营养盐不同指标（包括总氮、铵氮、硝态氮、总磷和可溶磷）浓度和瞬时负荷的动态变化规律。结果表明：Event06氮磷各指标浓度最小值、最大值及平均值均比Event08大,这与6月初农作物大量施肥,氮磷来源丰富有很大关系。丰乐河洪水事件氮输出的形式以可溶性无机氮（铵氮和硝态氮）为主,而磷则以颗粒态为主,但在涨水段的初、中期颗粒态氮和颗粒态磷所占比例比其它时段高。洪水过程中主要氮、磷指标浓度和瞬时负荷随流量增大而总体呈上升趋势(除了硝态氮),在流量峰值前达到最大值,然后呈总体下降趋势。总磷、总氮浓度与流量呈比较典型的顺时针圈形结构,表明暴雨洪水较强烈的冲刷输送作用。虽然进一步的负荷累积分析并没有显示显著的初期冲刷效应,但洪水期,特别是涨水段营养盐输出的重要性已较明显。丰乐河流域面积较大、地势较平坦,以农业活动为主,水体污染的非点源来源与农业活动有关,具体的洪水过程对营养盐的输出动态也有一定影响