Sediment environmental capacity of 137Cs in Daya Bay

Sediment environmental capacity of pollutants is very important for marine environmental management. Based on the methodology of a study on water, soil environmental capacity, and mass conservation theory in a system, the concept and model on sediment environmental capacity for ¹³⁷Cs in Daya Bay were developed. The static capacity for ¹³⁷Cs in the upper sediment near the shore at a shallow area was calculated, and the annual dynamic capacity and total dynamic capacity were also calculated through determination of the typical biomass in the sediment. The results showed that the estimated environmental capacity for ¹³⁷Cs in sediments was approximately equal to the current input of ¹³⁷Cs into the sediments. Controlling the input of ¹³⁷Cs in the sediments within the environmental capacity guarantees the sustainability of the current situation of the Daya Bay ecosystem and avoidance of a significant degradation of the system. Translated from Research of Environmental Sciences, 2005, 18(3): 11–14 [译自: 环境科学研究]     

137Cs在大鹏澳中迁移分布的数值模拟与预测

137Cs作为广东核电站放射性排出核素之一,具有高残留,高积累的特点.悬浮物对放射性核素的吸附沉降是影响海湾水体中核素迁移的重要机制之一.为正确评价核电站放射性排出物对大亚湾海湾水域的影响,建立了考虑悬浮物吸附沉降影响的深度平均二维对流扩散模型,模拟了放射性核素137Cs在大鹏澳内的迁移分布状况,并对未来湾内水质进行预测.模拟预测表明若维持当前排放量,未来50年内海湾中137Cs活度并没有呈持续上升趋势,局部虽略有累积,但活度值仍很小,最大仅约4Bq/m3,说明悬浮物吸附137Cs沉降对海湾的自净作用不容忽视. 137     

C?sium-137 in B?den saarl?ndischer Wald?kosysteme

Zusammenfassung Ziel und Schwerpunkte  Um das Verhalten des künstlichen Radionuklids¹³⁷Cs im Landschaftshaushalt der Saar-Lor-Lux Region zu klaren, wurdend die r?umliche Verteilung sowie das deszendente Migrationsverhalten und die Tiefenfunktionen des Radioisotops in den wichtigsten Bodensubstraten saarl?ndischer Wald?kosysteme untersucht. Ergebnisse  Demnach finden sich die h?chsten¹³⁷Cs-Aktivit?ten im Norden des Landes, w?hrend die Gebiete im Süden und Südosten deutlich geringere Konzentrationen aufweisen. Es konnten deszendente Migrationsraten zwischen 0,25 cm/a und 1,0 cm/a festgestellt werden. Durchschnittlich treten die h?chsten Migrationsraten in den tonig-schluffigen Substraten des Muschelkalks auf (0,66 cm/a), gefolgt von den lehmig ausgepr?gten Substraten des Unterrotliegenden (0,53 cm/a) und den sandigen Substraten des Buntsandsteins (0,41 cm/a). In den tonarmen Bodensubstraten des Unterrotliegenden und des Buntsandsteins lassen sich 90–95% der Aktivit?ten in den oberen 10 cm der humusreichen Oberb?den nachweisen, wohingegen in den tonreichen Substraten des Muschelkalks bis zur gleichen Tiefe nur etwa 70–76% zu finden sind. Schlussfolgerungen  Mit einem Abnehmen der als Leitbahnen fungierenden Prim?r-und Sekund?rporen in zunehmender Tiefe ist künftig mit einer deutlichen Reduzierung der Verlagerungsgeschwindigkeit von¹³⁷Cs in den Substraten des Muschelkalks zu rechnen. Insbesondere bei geringm?chtigen B?den auf kluftreichem Ausgangsgestein impliziert die maximale Eindringtiefe des Isorops von 40 cm in den Unterboden jedoch eine m?gliche Kontamination des oberfl?chennahen Grundwassers, ebenso wie an Standorten mit hohem Grundwasserstand. Ausblick  Aufgrund der hier vorgestellten Ergebnisse wurde ein¹³⁷Cs-Monitoring in das Boden-Dauerbeobachtungsprogramm des Landesamts für Umweltschutz des Saarlandes aufgenommen Online-First: 25. April 2000     

What Anthropogenic Radionuclides (90Sr and 137Cs in Atmospheric Deposition, Surface Soils and Aeolian Dusts Suggest for Dust Transport over Japan

Currently, atmospheric anthropogenic radionuclides (particulate) are controlled by suspension of the surface dust containing those radionuclides (resuspension). We have found, therefore, that such radionuclides can be used as tracers of the surface dust suspension, transport and its subsequent deposition in distant areas. The ¹³⁷Cs/⁹⁰Sr activity ratios in the atmospheric deposition, without the direct influence of nuclear tests and accidents, at the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI, Tsukuba, Japan) during the 1990s were fairly low (average: 2.1). This value is not in agreement with the ratios in Japanese surface soils (range of averages: 4–7), which had been considered as the primary source of the deposited dust. This suggests that the current atmospheric dust deposition in Japan is a mixture of local and remote components. The remote component could be an aeolian dust that has been transported long distances from arid areas. The major component is most likely to be Asian dust. It was further hypothesized that other remote source may exist beyond the Asian domain, based on accumulated observations and model results. To obtain more information about the dust transport, Sahara dust deposited in Monaco in 2002 and a suspended dust collected in the Taklamakan area in 2001 were analyzed for ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs. The Taklamakan dust exhibited a ¹³⁷Cs/⁹⁰Sr ratio of about 4, which is within the range of atmospheric deposition observed at the MRI, while the Sahara dust exhibited a higher ¹³⁷Cs/⁹⁰Sr ratio (about 13). Although the present Sahara datum was negative for our hypothesis of ‘hyper-range transport’, the seasonal change of the ¹³⁷Cs/⁹⁰Sr ratio in the atmospheric deposition observed at the MRI requires an aeolian dust source having a low ¹³⁷Cs/⁹⁰Sr ratio, other than Asian dust.     

Implications of excess 210Pb and 137Cs in sediment cores from Mikawa Bay, Japan

Four sediment cores were collected from Mikawa Bay, Japan, and excess 210Pb and 137Cs were measured by gamma spectrometry. Sedimentation rates for the four cores were determined by 210Pb method. The sedimentation rate range is 0.10-0.70 g/(cm2·year). The bio-mixing depth for each core is less than 7.0 cm, and was determined by the excess 210Pb profiles as well. Therefore, the bioturbation is slight. The 210Pb-derived dates coincided with the results from 137Cs geochronology. Acceleration in sedimentation ra...     

利用~(137)Cs示踪技术与土壤化学物质研究滇池流域土壤侵蚀

核素示踪技术研究作为一种新的土壤侵蚀研究方法,已经在土壤侵蚀研究中获得了极大应用,并在土壤侵蚀的沉积、侵蚀、运移研究上取得许多成果.采用放射性核素作为土壤示踪剂,可以很好的进行流域尺度的范围研究,且可靠性比较高,省时省力.云贵高原在处于我国的西南地区,是我国南方水土流失严重的地区之一.该地区缺乏较长时间的资料积累,仅通过短时间的测定,无法准确估算中长期(约50 a)的平均土壤侵蚀速率.文章应用137Cs示踪技术,并结合土壤有机碳、全氮等土壤化学物质,首次研究了云南省滇池流域土壤侵蚀的强度分异规律.1)山坡不同部位的土壤侵蚀速率大小顺序是:坡中部>坡下部>坡上部,坡位是影响土壤侵蚀的重要因素.2)土壤利用方式上看,非耕地(林地和撂荒地)的侵蚀速率小于耕地的侵蚀速率.同一种土地利用方式下,由于耕作措施与耕作方法的差异,也会直接影响到土壤侵蚀的速率大小.3)从土壤侵蚀模数来看,区域整体上属于轻度侵蚀.土壤平均侵蚀速率为1280.2 t·km-2·a-1,其中耕地的平均土壤侵蚀速率为1672.8 t·km-2·a-1,非耕地土壤平均侵蚀模数为1161.2 t·km-2·a-1.4)虽然是轻度侵蚀,但是随着土壤侵蚀的进行,土壤有机碳、氮等的流失,造成土地退化较为严重,这给当地的生态环境带来直接的危害:滇池土壤淤积,土壤中的有机质、化肥等物质也直接随土壤流入滇池,会导致水体富营养化和水质变差.     

Cs and K in fruiting bodies of different fungal species collected in a single forest in southern Poland

Fruiting bodies of fungi belonging to more than 70 species were collected within a few thousand square meter area of one forest during 2006 and 2007. The soil profile was collected to check the cumulative deposition of ¹³⁷Cs, which was relatively high, equal to 64 ± 2 kBq/m² (calculated for October 2006). The majority of this activity was in the first 6 cm. Fruitbodies were analyzed for radiocesium and ⁴⁰K by means of gamma-spectrometry. The highest ¹³⁷Cs activity was 54.1 ± 0.7 kBq/kg (dry weight) for a sample of Lactarius helvus collected in 2006. The results for 2006 were higher than those for 2007. In a few cases the traces of short-lived (T_1/2 = 2.06 a) ¹³⁴Cs were still found in samples. The importance of mycorrhizal fungi for radiocesium accumulation is confirmed. The differences in activity among the species are discussed in relation to observations and predictions from previous studies, where the change in relative accumulation between fruiting bodies of different species was at least partially explained by the differences in the depth of the mycelium localization in a litter/soil system. It is concluded that in some cases, such as Boletus edulis and Xerocomus badius, this prediction is fulfilled and therefore this explanation confirmed.     

Establishment of control site baseline data for erosion studies using radionuclides: a case study in East Slovenia

The aim of the present study was to establish a reference site and its soil characteristics for use of fallout radionuclides in erosion studies in Slovenia. Prior to this study, no reference site and baseline data existed for Slovenia for this purpose. In the agricultural area of Gori?ko in East Slovenia, an undisturbed forest situated in Šalamenci (46°44’N, 16°7’E), was selected to establish the inventory value of fallout ¹³⁷Cs and to establish a baseline level of multi-elemental fingerprint (major, minor, trace elements including heavy metals) and naturally occurring radionuclides in soils. A total of 20 soil profiles were collected at four 10 cm depth increments for evaluation of baseline level of ¹³⁷Cs inventory. An exponential distribution for ¹³⁷Cs was found and the baseline level inventory was established at 7300 ± 2500 Bq m⁻² with a coefficient of variation of 34%. Of this mean present-day inventory, approximately 45% is due to the Chernobyl contribution.The physical degradation of soils through erosion is linked with biochemical degradation. This study introduces an approach to establishment of the naturally occurring radionuclide and elemental fingerprints baseline levels at a reference site which can provide comparative data to those from neighbouring agricultural fields for assessment of soil redistribution magnitude using fallout radionuclides. In addition, this information will be used to determine the impact of soil erosion processes and agricultural practices on soil quality and redistribution within agricultural landscapes in Slovenia.     

Artificial radionuclides in the atmosphere over Lithuania

Measurements of airborne radioactive aerosol concentration were carried out on the basis of 1-3 days samples after the Chernobyl disaster and during the period of 1992-2003. Transport of "hot" particles of different composition resulted in the high activity concentrations of (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239,240)Pu and (241)Am in the atmosphere in Vilnius at the end of April 1986. The (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratio showed clear evidence of non-global plutonium originating from the Chernobyl accident in the atmosphere over Lithuania. The (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratio ranged from 0.14 to 0.40 in monthly samples in Vilnius in 1995-2003. An increase in activity concentration of (137)Cs by a factor of 100 (up to 300 microBq/m(3)) was found following forest fires in the Ukraine and Belarus. However, no transport of the Chernobyl plutonium was observed and the (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratio in samples collected during the forest fires was found to be 0.229 and 0.185, respectively. The exponential decrease in the (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratio from 0.30 to 0.19 (mean values) was observed in 1995-2003.     

Distribution and ratios of Cs and K in control and K-treated coconut trees at Bikini Island where nuclear test fallout occurred: effects and implications

Coconut trees growing on atolls of the Bikini Islands are on the margin of K deficiency because the concentration of exchangeable K in coral soil is very low, ranging from only 20 to 80 mg kg⁻¹. When provided with additional K, coconut trees absorb large quantities of K and this uptake of K significantly alters the patterns of distribution of ¹³⁷Cs within the plant. Following a single K fertilization event, mean total K in trunks of K-treated trees is 5.6 times greater than in trunks of control trees. In contrast, ¹³⁷Cs concentration in trunks of K-treated and control trees is statistically the same while ¹³⁷Cs is significantly lower in edible fruits of K-treated trees. Within one year after fertilization (one rainy season), K concentration in soil is back to naturally low concentrations. However, the tissue concentrations of K in treated trees stays very high internally in the trees for years while ¹³⁷Cs concentration in treated trees remains very low in all tree compartments except for the trunk. Potassium fertilization did not change soil Cs availability.