Fuel particles in the Chernobyl cooling pond: current state and prediction for remediation options

During the coming years, a management and remediation strategy for the Chernobyl cooling pond (CP) will be implemented. Remediation options include a controlled reduction in surface water level of the cooling pond and stabilisation of exposed sediments. In terrestrial soils, fuel particles deposited during the Chernobyl accident have now almost completely disintegrated. However, in the CP sediments the majority of ⁹⁰Sr activity is still in the form of fuel particles. Due to the low dissolved oxygen concentration and high pH, dissolution of fuel particles in the CP sediments is significantly slower than in soils. After the planned cessation of water pumping from the Pripyat River to the Pond, significant areas of sediments will be drained and exposed to the air. This will significantly enhance the dissolution rate and, correspondingly, the mobility and bioavailability of radionuclides will increase with time. The rate of acidification of exposed bottom sediments was predicted on the basis of acidification of similar soils after liming. Using empirical equations relating the fuel particle dissolution rate to soil and sediment pH allowed prediction of fuel particle dissolution and ⁹⁰Sr mobilisation for different remediation scenarios. It is shown that in exposed sediments, fuel particles will be almost completely dissolved in 15–25 years, while in parts of the cooling pond which remain flooded, fuel particle dissolution will take about a century.     

Beryllium-7 atmospheric deposition and sediment inventories in the Neponset River estuary,Massachusetts, USA

Measured monthly atmospheric depositional fluxes of cosmogenically produced ⁷Be ranged from 1 to 67 mBq/cm² in Boston, Massachusetts between September 2000 and August 2007. These fluxes exhibited seasonality and supported a decay-corrected ⁷Be atmospheric depositional running inventory that ranged from 36 to 144 mBq/cm². Annual ⁷Be deposition exhibited an increasing trend that may reflect a general decrease in solar activity and a general increase in precipitation over the 7-year sampling period. To investigate short-term sediment dynamics and accumulation patterns in the Neponset River estuary, we collected six sediment cores in July 2006 and measured ⁷Be sediment inventories ranging from 48 to 546 mBq/cm² Comparisons of these sediment inventories with the ⁷Be running inventory from atmospheric deposition (101 mBq/cm²) at the time of core collection indicated a large degree of spatial heterogeneity in sediment accumulation patterns and its potential use as a tool for assessing the impacts of environmental restoration activities in estuarine environments.     

Occurrence and effects of tire wear particles in the environment--a critical review and an initial risk assessment

This review summarizes the existing knowledge on the occurrence of tire wear particles in the environment, and their ecotoxicological effects. A meta-analysis on tire components in the environment revealed that tire wear particles are present in all environmental compartments, including air, water, soils/sediments, and biota. The maximum Predicted Environmental Concentrations (PECs) of tire wear particles in surface waters range from 0.03 to 56 mg l⁻¹ and the maximum PECs in sediments range from 0.3 to 155 g kg⁻¹ d.w. The results from our previous long-term studies with Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were used to derive Predicted No Effect Concentrations (PNECs). The upper ranges for PEC/PNEC ratios in water and sediment were >1, meaning that tire wear particles present potential risks for aquatic organisms. We suggest that management should be directed towards development and production of more environmentally friendly tires and improved road runoff treatment.     

Effect of natural organic matter and green microalga on carboxyl-polyethylene glycol coated CdSe/ZnS quantum dots stability and transformations under freshwater conditions

The influence of pH, ionic strength, presence of humic or alginic acids, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), or freshwater microalga Chlorella kesslerii on the stability and transformation of carboxyl-PEG-CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) in terms of number, hydrodynamic size and fluorescence of individual particles, was studied by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Obtained results demonstrated that QDs form stable dispersions at nanomolar concentrations under conditions typical for freshwaters. The presence of 5 or 15 mg C L⁻¹ of humic acid or 50 mg C L⁻¹ EPS did not significantly affect these parameters. In contrast, 5 or 50 mg C L⁻¹ alginate at ionic strength of 10 mM shifted the hydrodynamic radius toward larger values, suggesting a possible capture of QDs by the linear alginate chains. The addition of microalga to the QD dispersions resulted in a slight reduction of the number of QDs and a significant decline in the fluorescence of individual QDs.     

气溶胶中的微小粒子计数技术

分析了单个微粒的光能和粒径之间的关系。鉴于单个颗粒的散射光信号很弱 ,提出在激光器的内腔测量小粒径颗粒。实践证明 ,该方法对较小粒径的颗粒检测有效。     

地表水悬浮物分析中的几个问题

对地表水悬浮物分析中的样品烘干时间、次数和取样问题进行了实验,提出了减少悬的体操的烘干恒重次数、缩短分析过程呼时间的意见。同时提出悬浮物应单独采集样品,以提高悬浮物的分析质量。     

鞍山市空气颗粒物中酞酸酯的季节变化与功能区差异

采用气相色谱-质谱仪(GC-MS)对辽宁省鞍山市空气颗粒物中15种酞酸酯夏季和冬季的浓度进行了分析测定,研究了酞酸酯污染水平的季节变化,不同功能区酞酸酯浓度的差异,以及DBP和DEHP在夏冬两季中的污染特点,将鞍山市夏冬两季酞酸酯的浓度与国内外部分城市进行了比较,分析了产生上述结果的原因,基本说明了鞍山市空气颗粒物中酞酸酯的污染状况。     

我国西北典型大城市大气可吸入颗粒物浓度分布特征

我国西北地区冬季寒冷、春季多风沙天气,空气中的可吸入颗粒物(PM10)浓度较高,利用兰州、西宁、乌鲁木齐、银川、呼和浩特等城市2000年6月～2007年12月每日浓度最高的大气主要污染物(SO2,NO2,PM10)浓度资料,研究了5个省会城市PM10分布特征。结果表明,五个城市PM10污染都较严重,PM10为主要污染物的日数每月平均超过20天。五个城市的季节分布特征类似,冬春季浓度较高,平均值都达到了国家二级污染标准,夏秋季相对低一些。其中,兰州和乌鲁木齐冬季浓度值远高于其他城市。五个城市均属煤烟沙尘型污染,但煤烟和沙尘的影响程度有所不同。     

天津市空气颗粒物中酞酸酯的分布特征

采用气相色谱-质谱仪(GC-MS)对天津市空气颗粒物中15种酞酸酯(PAEs)夏季和冬季的浓度进行了分析测定,研究了酞酸酯污染水平的季节变化,不同季节酞酸酯的功能区差异,15种酞酸酯在颗粒物中的分布特征,以及DBP和DEHP在夏冬两季中的污染特点,分析了产生上述结果的原因,基本说明了天津市空气颗粒物中酞酸酯的污染状况和特点。     

北方某市环境空气颗粒物中重金属污染状况研究

对我国北方某市大气颗粒物的污染状况进行了研究。在主导风向上设置采样点,于冬季、夏季分别采集TSP、PM₁₀、PM_2.5 3种不同动力学直径的大气颗粒物。采用ICP-MS对TSP、PM₁₀、PM_2.5中的元素浓度进行分析,并对3种不同粒径颗粒物中的10种重金属采用富集因子法进行评价。结果表明,北方某市环境空气颗粒物中富集程度最严重的为Cd、Pb;在采暖期,随着颗粒物粒径变小,Pb、Cd的富集指数呈现逐渐增大的趋势;非采暖期则无此趋势。