Pu/Cs ratios in the water column of the North Pacific: a proxy of biogeochemical processes

Anthropogenic radionuclides in seawater have been used as transient tracers of processes in the marine environment. Especially, plutonium in seawater is considered to be a valuable tracer of biogeochemical processes due to its particle-reactive properties. However, its behavior in the ocean is also affected by physical processes such as advection, mixing and diffusion. Here we introduce Pu/¹³⁷Cs ratio as a proxy of biogeochemical processes and discuss its trends in the water column of the North Pacific Ocean. We observed that the ^239,240Pu/¹³⁷Cs ratio in seawater exponentially increased with increasing depth (depth range: 100–1000 m). This finding suggests that the profiles of the ^239,240Pu/¹³⁷Cs ratios in shallower waters directly reflect biogeochemical processes in the water column. A half-regeneration depth deduced from the curve fitting the observed data, showed latitudinal and longitudinal distributions, also related to biogeochemical processes in the water column.     

Cs,Co and K uptake by lettuce plants in two distributions of soil contamination

¹³⁷Cs and ⁶⁰Co, two of the radionuclides more representative of discharges from nuclear facilities, are of interest for radiological protections because of their great mobility in biosphere and affinity with biological systems. The aim of the present work is the investigation of the possible influence of the vertical distribution of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁶⁰Co in soil upon their uptake by lettuce as function of plant's growth. An experiment ad hoc has been carried out in field conditions. The results show that (i) the transfer of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁶⁰Co from soil to lettuce is independent by their distribution in soil, (ii) the soil–plant transfer factors of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁶⁰Co show a similar trend vs. growth stage, (iii) the ⁴⁰K transfer factor trend is different from those of anthropogenic radionuclides, and (iv) ¹³⁷Cs and ⁶⁰Co specific activities are about 1 Bq/kg, in the mature vegetable with soil activity from 9 to 21 kBq/m².     

Cesium accumulation by fish following acute input to lakes: a comparison of experimental and Chernobyl-impacted systems

An uptake parameter u (L kg⁻¹ d⁻¹) and a loss rate parameter k (d⁻¹) were estimated for the patterns of accumulation and loss of ¹³³Cs by three fish species following an experimental ¹³³Cs addition into a pond in South Carolina, USA. These u and k parameters were compared to similar estimates for fish from other experimental ponds and from lakes that received ¹³⁷Cs deposition from Chernobyl. Estimates of u from ponds and lakes declined with increasing potassium concentrations in the water column. Although loss rates were greater in the experimental ponds, the times required to reach maximum Cs concentrations in fish were similar between ponds and lakes, because ponds and lakes had similar retentions of Cs in the water column. The maximum Cs concentrations in fish were largely determined by initial Cs concentrations in the water column. These maximum concentrations in fish and the times required to reach these maxima are potentially useful indicators for assessments of risks to humans from fish consumption.     

Recent changes in Red Lake (Romania) sedimentation rate determined from depth profiles of Pb and Cs radioisotopes

This work presents a first estimation of the sedimentation rate for the Red Lake (Romania). The sediment accumulation rates were determined by two well-known methods for recent sediment dating: ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs methods. Both techniques implied used the gamma emission of the above-mentioned radionuclides. The ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs concentrations in the sediment were measured using a gamma spectrometer with a HpGe detector, Gamma-X type. Activities ranging from 41 ± 7 to 135 ± 34 Bq/kg were found for ²¹⁰Pb and from 3 ± 0.5 to 1054 ± 150 Bq/kg for ¹³⁷Cs. The sediment profile indicates acceleration in sedimentation rate in the last 18 years. Thus, the sedimentation process for the Red Lake can be divided in two periods, the last 18 years, and respectively, the period before that. Using the Constant Rate of ²¹⁰Pb Supply method values between 0.18 ± 0.04 and 1.85 ± 0.5 g/cm² year (0.32 ± 0.08 and 2.83 ± 0.7 cm/year) were obtained. Considering both periods, an average sedimentation rate of 0.87 ± 0.17 g/cm² year (1.17 cm/year) was calculated. Considering an average depth of 5.41 m for the lake and the sedimentation rate estimated for the last 18 years, it could be estimated that the lake will disappear in 195 years.     

137Cs示踪技术在滦河源区栗钙土风蚀速率估算中的应用

对采集于滦河源区3个栗钙土剖面中的27个土层样品的pH、有机碳含量、碳酸钙含量、密度及质地进行了化验分析,运用ADCOM100超低本底γ谱仪测定了土壤样品1377Cs的比活度.结果表明,自然栗钙土以及被风蚀土壤剖面中137Cs比活度随深度呈指数递减式分布,其最大渗透深度可达约30cm;利用137Cs示踪技术估算的研究区土壤风蚀速率在0.1842cm·a-1和0.2897cm·a-1之间;栗钙土不同粒径土壤颗粒中137Cs的比活度差异显著,即细粒(粒径≤0.10mm的极细砂、粉粒和黏粒)中137Cs比活度大于细砂(0.10～0.25mm)中137Cs比活度大于粗粒(0.25～2.00mm的中砂、粗砂和极粗砂)中137Cs比活度.可见,运用137Cs示踪法可以定量估算区域土壤风蚀速率,但需综合考虑137s在土壤中的分布、土壤有机质含量和质地等因素,以使其结果将更为准确.     

新疆核试验场周围地区主要食品中~(90)Sr(锶)、~(137)Cs(铯)水平及其所致居民剂量

本文报道了新疆核试验场周围地区9个调查区17种主要食品中~(90)Sr、~(137)Cs含量分别为1.1～72.3,0.3～40.7×10~(-2)B_q·Kg~(-1);3个对照区分别为1.6～68.4,0.6～27.4×10~(-2)B_q·K_g~(-1)。两地区同类食品中~(90)Sr、~(137)Cs平均含量基本一致。调查区~(90)Sr、~(137)Cs所致成年居民有效剂量当量值分别为2μSV(集体剂量当量为30.0人· SV);0.3μSV(4.5人· SV)。对照区分别为2.2μSV(集体剂量当量为20.9人·SV);0.4μSV(3.0人·SV)。可见我国核试验产生的~(90)Sr、~(137)Cs对核试验场周围地区食品没有造成明显的局部污染,所致居民剂量当量负担仅为我国天然外照射所致年有效剂量当量(952μSV)的0.2％和0.03％。对该地区的广大居民健康不会产生有害的影响。     

Fractal and multifractal approach to environmental pollution

A few case studies will be presented involving both radioactive and chemical pollution at small, medium, and large space-time scales. Reported are recent advances in the field of environmental pollution involving the use of fractals and multifractals. The mathematical tools proposed here may offer new perspectives for investigating many of the problems of nonlinear variability which commonly arise when dealing with pollutants, such as the presence of outliers and the sparseness of the sampling networks. They may also lead to a simplification of the models adopted for studying natural phenomena, thanks to a scaling approach. Finally, they may provide parameters whose values are directly related to the nonlinear dynamics involved in the pollutant distribution in the environment which, in turn, may be relevant for computer simulation and epidemiological or risk assessment purposes.     

云南省程海现代沉积物中137Cs、210Pb的分布及计年研究

程海沉积物柱芯中存在三个峰形完好的137Cs蓄积峰。 94%的137Cs累计值分配于 1985年以前 ,表明程海沉积物中的13 7Cs能较好地保存在沉积年代的相应层节中。该沉积物柱芯中2 10 Pbex的分布特殊 ,据此将近五十年来程海的沉积过程分为三个稳定沉积阶段和两个快速沉积阶段。两种计年方法的结合有助于认识沉积速率变化较大情况下湖泊的沉积状况 ,也有助于加深对核素计年方法的理解     

大亚湾沉积物中137Cs纵向迁移研究

鉴于海洋沉积物是^137Cs在海域内迁移的最终归宿．建立了沉积物中污染物纵向迁移分布的定量模型，在机理分析中充分考虑了海水-表层沉积物界面上通过沉降、扩散、吸附-解吸等作用完成的物质传输，并对大亚湾内4个监测点底质芯样中^137Cs活度进行了模拟分析，对未来底质中^137Cs的富集趋势进行了预测。