Distribution pattern of 90Sr and 137Cs in the Nile delta and the adjacent regions after Chernobyl accident.

Strontium and cesium contents in surface soil samples across the Nile Delta and the north coast of Egypt after the Chernobyl accident have been investigated. The concentration of 137Cs and 90Sr was determined using a high resolution gamma spectrometer based on hyperpure germanium detector (HPGe) and a liquid scintillation counter (LSC) respectively. 90Sr was determined through its decay product 90Y using Cerenkov counting. The determination of 90Sr was based on tributylphosphate (TBP) extraction of yttrium from nitric acid extract of ashed samples. The radioactivity of soils ranged between 18.5 and 2175 Bq/m2 with a mean of 652 Bq/m2 and 234 and 3129 Bq/m2 with a mean of 760 Bq/m2 for 137Cs and 90Sr respectively. An estimated absorbed dose equivalent due to the measured deposit of 137Cs was found to be 0.062 murem/h.     

Accumulation and potential dissolution of Chernobyl-derived radionuclides in river bottom sediment.

Areas contaminated with radionuclides from the Chernobyl nuclear accident have been identified in Pripyat River near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The river bottom sediment cores contained 137Cs (10(5)-10(6) Bq/m2) within 0-30 cm depth, whose concentration is comparable to that in the ground soil in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant (the Exclusion Zone). The sediment cores also accumulated 90Sr (10(5) Bq/m2), (239,240)Pu (10(4) Bq/m2) and 241Am (10(4)Bq/m2) derived from the accident. Several nuclear fuel particles have been preserved at 20-25 cm depth that is the peak area of the concentrations of the radionuclides. These inventories in the bottom sediments were compared with those of the released radionuclides during the accident. An analysis using a selective sequential extraction technique was applied for the radionuclides in the sediments. Results suggest that the possibility of release of 137Cs and (293,240)Pu from the bottom sediment was low compared with 90Sr. The potential dissolution and subsequent transport of 90Sr from the river bottom sediment should be taken into account with respect to the long-term radiological influence on the aquatic environment.     

2012—2020年杭州市区水中90Sr和137Cs放射性水平调查

目的调查分析杭州市区水中90Sr和137Cs放射性水平和来源。方法 2012—2020年, 选取杭州市区3个水质监测点:钱塘江水(杭州市重要饮用水源)、末梢水(居民直接饮用水)、西湖水(游客密集区域, 水体每月与钱塘江水交换1次), 分别在丰水期和枯水期采集水样并用放射化学法测定样品中90Sr和137Cs的活度浓度, 根据137Cs和90Sr活度浓度获得活度比(137Cs /90Sr)。结果 2012—2020年, 末梢水中90Sr和137Cs的活度浓度范围分别为(2.0±1.1)～(7.4±0.4)mBq/L, (0.45±0.06)～(7.1±0.6)mBq/L, 137Cs /90Sr活度比值范围为0.07 ～ 2.40;钱塘江水中90Sr和137Cs的活度浓度范围分别为(3.7±1.1)～(17.0±4.4)mBq/L, (0.28±0.01)～(15.0±4.5)mBq/L, 137Cs/90Sr活度比值范围为0.03 ～ 0.90;西湖水中90Sr和137Cs的活度浓度范围分别为(2.2±0.5)～(11.0±2.0)mBq/L, (0.32±0.04)～(7.9±1.9)...     

Distribution of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in soil and beach sand samples of Kalpakkam (India) using hyper pure germanium (HPGe) gamma ray spectrometry.

Pre-operational survey at Kalpakkam coast, indicated elevated gamma background radiation levels in the range of 100-4000 nGy h(-1) over the large tracts of the coastal sands due to the presence of pockets of monazite mineral in beach sands. In view of the prevalence of monazite, a systematic gamma spectrometric study of distribution of natural radionuclides in soil and beach sand samples collected from the terrestrial and coastal environment of Kalpakkam was performed and concentrations of primordial radionuclides such as 238U, 232Th and 40K and anthropogenic radionuclide 137Cs were determined. The concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in soil samples were 5-71, 15-776 and 200-854 Bq kg(-1) dry, respectively. In beach sand samples, 238U, 232Th and 40K contents varied in the range of 36-258, 352-3872 and 324-405 Bq kg(-1) dry, respectively. The total absorbed gamma dose rate in air due to the presence of 238U, 232Th and 40K in Kalpakkam soil samples varied between 24 and 556 nGy h(-1) with a mean of 103 nGy h(-1). The contribution to the total absorbed gamma dose rate in air in the decreasing order was due to the presence of 232Th (76.4%), followed by 40K (16.9%) and 238U (6.7%) in Kalpakkam soils. However, in beach areas of Kalpakkam, the presence of 232Th in beach sand contributed maximum (94.0%) to the total absorbed gamma dose rate in air followed by 238U (4.7%) and minimum contribution was by 40K (1.3%). 137Cs in Kalpakkam soils ranged from < or = 1.0 to 2.8 Bq kg(-1) dry, which was 1-3 order of magnitude less than the concentration of primordial radionuclides in soil.     

全国首台AP1000核电机组安装后周围生活饮用水及食品中90Sr和137Cs放射性水平调查

目的 调查分析全国首台AP1000核电机组安装后周围生活饮用水中⁹⁰Sr和¹³⁷Cs及食品中¹³⁷Cs放射性水平及变化。方法 2012—2019年,选取全国首台AP1000核电机组所在的三门核电站周围的4个生活饮用水监测点,分别在丰水期和枯水期采集并测定⁹⁰Sr和¹³⁷Cs放射性活度浓度;采集当地产大米、包菜、鲫鱼和鲻鱼,测定分析¹³⁷Cs放射性活度浓度。结果 2012—2019年,生活饮用水中⁹⁰Sr和¹³⁷Cs放射性活度浓度范围分别为1.2~9.8、0.2~8.1 mBq/L;食品中¹³⁷Cs放射性活度浓度为1.1×10^-2~2.8×10^-1 Bq/kg,小于《食品中放射性物质限制浓度标准》（GB 14882-94）限制浓度。结论 全国首台AP1000核电机组安装后周围生活饮用水中⁹⁰Sr和¹³⁷Cs及食品中¹³⁷Cs放射性水平平稳,调查数据显示未发现对环境带来影响。     

Application of ICP-DRC-MS to screening test of strontium and plutonium in environmental samples at Fukushima

An application of sequential automated SPE separation equipment coupled to the quadrupole-based ICPMS instrumentation with a dynamic reaction cell such as a screening test system of ⁹⁰Sr and Pu isotopes in environmental samples was developed in this work. So far, during the course of a large number of reports as to various specific radioactivities in environmental samples surveyed at radioactive contaminated area around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants (FDNPP), there is a much smaller number of reports on ⁹⁰Sr and Pu isotopes than that of ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs since the FDNPP accident, and then it would be expected to develop the simple analysis method of these isotopes instead of radiation measurements currently in use. In particular, a screening for ⁹⁰Sr in environmental samples has been accomplished using an isotopic ratio measurement mode in comparison with the characterization on the Solid Phase Elution (SPE) separation between strontium and zirconium isotopes around the mass-90 fraction. As a result, for a trial analysis of environmental samples of a muddy snow water and a soil which were collected at Fukushima, it was found that the present developed system makes it applicable for achieving up to the specific activity levels of several hundreds Bq/kg (⁹⁰Sr) and about 1–2 Bq/kg (Pu isotopes) as the screening test system.     

Determination of radioactivity levels and hazards of soil and sediment samples in Firtina Valley (Rize, Turkey).

The natural radioactivity levels in soil and sediment samples of Firtina Valley have been determined. To our knowledge, there seems to be no information about radioactivity level in the Firtina Valley soils and sediments so far. For this reason, soil and sediment samples were collected along the Firtina Valley and analysis on the collected samples were carried out to determine 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs radioisotopes using high purity germanium detector. The activity concentrations obtained for 226Ra, 214Pb, 214Bi, 228Ac, 208Tl, 40K and 137Cs are given in the unit of Bq/kg. The results have been compared with other radioactivity measurements in different country's soils and sediments. The radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the absorbed dose rate (D), the external hazard index (Hex), the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) and the annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) were also calculated and compared with the international recommended values.     

Environmental radioactivity measurements in Kastamonu region of northern Turkey.

Located in the north-western part of Turkey, the province of Kastamonu has lately been receiving national attention because of its cultural and touristic attractions. This study assesses the environmental radioactivity levels of the region through measurements of indoor radon concentrations and indoor/outdoor gamma absorbed dose in air and radionuclide activities in surface soil and drinking water. The indoor (222)Rn activity concentration was found to be 98.4 Bq/m(3) equivalent to an annual effective dose of 2.48 mSv. The indoor and outdoor gamma absorbed doses were measured as 54.81 and 48.03 nGy/h, respectively, corresponding to a total gamma radiation level (of terrestrial and cosmic origin) of 0.33 mSv/y. The activity concentrations in the soil samples collected from the study area were determined as 32.93, 27.17, 431.43 Bq/kg for the natural radionuclides (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K, respectively, and 8.02 Bq/kg for the fission product (137)Cs. These natural radioactivity sources result in a terrestrial gamma level of 60 microSv/y. The water samples collected from the region carry an average of 0.0089 Bq/l of gross alpha and 0.271 Bq/l of gross beta activities which together cause an annual effective dose of 1.83 microSv. The measurement results obtained in this study indicate that the region has a background radiation level that is within the natural limits and shows no significant departure from the other parts of the country.     

云南省部分地区大米和玉米放射性核素水平调查

目的 调查云南省部分地区大米和玉米放射性核素水平,充实云南地区食品放射性水平基线数据,评估其对居民产生的健康风险。方法 依据国家标准《生物样品中放射性核素的γ能谱分析方法》《高纯锗γ能谱分析通用方法》《食品中放射性物质检验总则》《土壤中放射性核素的γ能谱分析方法》,对云南省20个县（区）大米和玉米样品进行放射性核素检测,对检测结果进行处理与分析。结果 大米样品中²³⁸U、²³²Th、²²⁶Ra、⁴⁰K和¹³⁷Cs活度浓度均值分别为（0.416±0.403）、（0.045±0.034）、（0.030±0.013）、（28.4±18.8）和（0.014±0.019）Bq/kg,玉米样品中²³⁸U、²³²Th、²²⁶Ra、⁴⁰K活度浓度均值分别为（0.308±0.230）、（0.035±0.031）、（0.053±0.072）、（56.8±38.6）Bq/kg,¹³⁷Cs的活度浓度低于探测下限。结论 云南省20个县（区）大米和玉米中²³⁸U、²³²Th、²²⁶Ra、⁴⁰K和¹³⁷Cs的放射性水平均在国家标准正常范围内,食入后不会对居民的健康造成影响。     

云南芒市地区野生食用蘑菇中137Cs、40K含量及所致居民剂量估算

目的 检测可食用野生蘑菇中人工放射性核素¹³⁷Cs和天然放射性核素⁴⁰K的含量及分布特点,计算野生蘑菇中放射性核素水平及其所致剂量。方法 采集了产自云南省芒市的18类33份可食用野生蘑菇样品,用实验室低本底高纯锗（HPGe）γ谱仪分析了其中放射性核素¹³⁷Cs、⁴⁰K的含量。结果 33份样品中,仅1份样品¹³⁷Cs的含量在探测限之下,其余32份样品中均可检测出¹³⁷Cs,比活度范围值为0.45~339.58 Bq/kg（干重）,平均值25.47 Bq/kg（干重）。所有样品均检测出天然放射性核素⁴⁰K,核素比活度最小值和最大值分别为453.4、1 882.6 Bq/kg（干重）,平均值为815.1 Bq/kg（干重）。当去除只有1个样品数的蘑菇种类后,毛钉菇、美味牛肝菌、白牛肝菌、锈盖粉孢牛肝菌、香菇、茶褐牛肝菌6个种类蘑菇间¹³⁷Cs含量差异有统计学意义（F=21.13,P<0.05）,而⁴⁰K含量差异无统计学意义。结论 6类不同蘑菇中¹³⁷Cs含量不同,其中毛钉菇、香菇中人工放射性核素¹³⁷Cs含量相对较高。但食入此类蘑菇对成人所致待积有效剂量极其微小,不会影响健康。     

Radioactivity levels of recent sediments in the Butrint Lagoon and the adjacent coast of Albania.

Sediment samples have been collected in the Butrint area, located in the south-west Albania to determine the radioactivity levels of (40)K, (137)Cs, (212)Bi, (212)Pb, (214)Bi, (214)Pb, (226)Ra and (228)Ac on the bed of the lagoon and adjacent sea, using direct counting gamma spectroscopy. The concentration of (137)Cs and (40)K varied from 2.8 to 37.5 Bq/kg and from 266 to 675 Bq/kg dry weight (dw), respectively (central values). The average concentrations of (238)U and (232)Th daughter products varied from 8 to 27 Bq/kg and from 13 to 40 Bq/kg dw, respectively. The measured (235)U activity ranged from 0.7 to 2.5 Bq/kg dw. Samples of different sedimentary properties, studied for the radioactivity concentration, revealed an inversely proportional relation between grain size and a linear combination of measured specific activities of (226)Ra, (232)Th ((228)Ac, (212)Bi and (212)Pb), (40)K and (137)Cs.     

Scintillation beta-spectrometer with enhanced sensitivity.

The design of a high-sensitive scintillation beta-spectrometer applied for measuring the content of (90)Sr in environmental samples against the background (40)K and (137)Cs is described. The spectrometer includes a plastic detector with developed surface, to be simultaneously used as a sample container. The content of (90)Sr is determined having a beta-spectrum region of interest 1311-2282 keV. The minimum detectable specific activity of the spectrometer is 3.5 Bq/kg for solid granular samples with a mass of 1000 g and a measuring time of 2 h.     

Calibration of a field-portable gamma detector to obtain in situ measurements of the 137Cs inventories of cultivated soils and floodplain sediments.

Over the past 10 years, a number of studies have exploited the potential for using measurements of fallout 137Cs inventories to document rates and patterns of soil erosion on cultivated land and to estimate rates of overbank sedimentation on river floodplains. Traditional procedures for applying the 137Cs technique involve the collection of soil or sediment cores from a study site and their subsequent transfer to the laboratory for preparation and analysis by gamma spectrometry. Such procedures are time consuming and there may be a considerable delay before the results are available. It is therefore difficult to obtain preliminary results, which could be used to guide the development of an ongoing sampling programme. The use of in situ gamma spectrometry measurements to quantify 137Cs inventories in soils and sediments offers a number of potential advantages over traditional procedures. However, in order to derive a reliable estimate of the 137Cs inventory for a measurement point, it is necessary to take account of the attenuation of 137Cs gamma rays by the soil matrix and information on the depth distribution of 137Cs in the soil or sediment is therefore required. In the present study, empirical relationships between in situ measurements of 137Cs activity and total 137Cs inventories have been established for soils from a cultivated field and for floodplain sediments, based on information on the vertical distribution of 137Cs in the soils and sediments provided by the forward scattering ratio derived from the field measured spectra. These relationships have been used to estimate 137Cs inventories from in situ measurements of 137Cs activity at other locations.     

2013—2017年宁德核电站周围食品中90Sr放射性水平调查

目的 了解宁德核电站运行后核电站周围监测点区域内放射性核素⁹⁰Sr放射性水平,并与其对照区域⁹⁰Sr放射性水平进行比较。方法 在宁德核电站周边30 km范围内的监测点区域及其对照点区域进行布点,采集食品样品,利用二-（2-乙基已基）磷酸脂萃取色层法对食品样品中⁹⁰Sr放射性水平进行分析。结果 本次调查共完成宁德核电站周围监测区域及对照区域的6大类,30个品种的食品样品中⁹⁰Sr放射性水平的分析。监测区域内,谷类薯类及杂豆类样品中⁹⁰Sr的放射性比活度范围为0.017~1.830 Bq/kg,蔬菜类样品为0.021~0.318 Bq/kg,水产品类样品为0.007~7.690 Bq/kg,畜禽肉类样品为0.009~0.184 Bq/kg。对照区域内,谷类薯类及杂豆类样品中⁹⁰Sr含量测量范围为0.017~0.700 Bq/kg,蔬菜类为0.034~0.677 Bq/kg,水产品类为0.038~3.360 Bq/kg,畜禽肉类为0.019~0.054 Bq/kg。结论 本次调查的食品中⁹⁰Sr放射性水平均远低于我国食品标准限值,食入所致的居民内照射剂量对公众剂量的贡献极低。     

Ingestion doses in Finland due to (90)Sr, (134)Cs, and (137)Cs from nuclear weapons testing and the Chernobyl accident.

(90)Sr and (137)Cs in domestic foodstuffs and water have been analysed in Finland since the early 1960s, and (134)Cs since 1986. Using data on radionuclide deposition levels, agricultural production, and the processing and consumption of foodstuffs, the average intake and radiation dose from the ingestion of these radionuclides have been assessed. The estimated committed effective dose from the ingestion of (90)Sr, (137)Cs, and (134)Cs in food and water for the period 1960-2005 is 2.2mSv, and for the period since the Chernobyl accident in 1986 it is 1.3mSv.     

Further Studies of Radioactive Strontium and Caesium in Agricultural Crops after Direct Contamination

Summary

Investigations have continued on the extent to which ⁸⁹Sr and ¹³⁷Cs are transferred to the edible parts of cabbage and potato after aerial contamination at various times in the growing season. Significant trends in the concentration of ⁸⁹Sr and ¹³⁷Cs in the hearts of cabbages and ¹³⁷Cs in potato tubers were observed with maximum values after contamination in the middle of the season. A similar trend in the concentrations of ⁸⁹Sr in potato tubers was suggested, but no significant differences could be established. The range of concentrations was of the same order as those found in previous years. The present and earlier results have been used to assess the relationships in the field between the deposition of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs and their concentration in crops. These relationships show, at least for wheat and potatoes, reasonable agreement with those deduced from surveys of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs in foodstuffs resulting from the worldwide dissemination of fall-out from nuclear weapons.     

Estimation of soil erosion from caesium-137 measurements in a small,cultivated catchment in Australia

Measurements are reported of the distribution of ¹³⁷Cs within a 6.6 ha drainage basin on cultivated black earth soils located near Merriwa in New South Wales (N.S.W.). The results were used to estimate net loss as well as accumulation of soil. The losses of ¹³⁷Cs from the catchment slopes were assessed relative to an estimated input of ¹³⁷Cs of 100 mBq cm⁻².A regression equation was developed which relates the net loss of soil by erosion of black earth soils (kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) as a function of the measured loss of ¹³⁷Cs activity in the soil expressed as a percentage of the normal input value.Each input datum of ¹³⁷Cs activity into the regression equation was obtained under similar conditions. Rates of soil losses, estimated at 19 sites, ranged between 420 and 2970 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ with an average of 1530 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. The results confirmed the usefulness of the ¹³⁷Cs technique for estimating loss of soil by erosion.     

238U, 235U, 137Cs and 133Xe in soils from two campuses in University of Douala—Cameroon

An evaluation of ²³⁸U, ²³⁵U, ¹³⁷Cs and ¹³³Xe in soils from two campuses in University of Douala—Cameroon using gamma spectroscopy based Broad Energy Germanium Detector (BEGe6530) has been performed. The mean activities in soils from Campuse 1 were 40.16±8.98 Bq/kg for ²³⁸U, 3.39±0.33 Bq/kg for ²³⁵U, 0.46±0.33 Bq/kg for ¹³⁷Cs and 0.14±0.16 Bq/kg for ¹³³Xe. In Campus 2, the mean activities in soils were 31.45±12.24 Bq/kg, 3.02±1.00 Bq/kg, 0.30±0.26 Bq/kg and 0.35±0.24 Bq/kg for ²³⁸U, ²³⁵U, ¹³⁷Cs and ¹³³Xe, respectively. Using the in situ survey meter, the mean values of the absorbed dose rate measured was 71.43 nGy/h for Campus 1 and 62.72 nGy/h for Campus 2. The evaluated average outdoor effective dose for Campus 1 and 2 were 87.60 µSv/yr and 76.93 µSv/yr, respectively. The overall results obtained in this work were generally low compared to that of UNSCEAR.     

Assessment of the transfer of Cs in three types of vegetables consumed in Hong Kong

A dynamic food chain model has been built for the modeling of the transfer of ¹³⁷Cs in three types of vegetables consumed in Hong Kong, namely, white flowering cabbage (Brassica chinensis), head lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and celery (Apium graveolens). Some parameters have been estimated from the experimental data obtained in this work. The experimental data include the transfer factors of ¹³⁷Cs from soil to the different vegetable species which are determined through high resolution gamma spectrometry, maximum crop biomasses for the vegetable species, the dry-to-fresh ratios for the vegetable species, the bulk density of soil layers and the average concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in air. The derived parameters include the deposition rate and the root uptake rate, information for tillage, the logistic growth model and radionuclide concentrations in vegetables. The dynamic food chain model is solved by the Birchall–James algorithm to give the ¹³⁷Cs concentration in subsurface soil, from the 0.1–25 cm soil layer, and the ¹³⁷Cs concentration in harvested and unwashed vegetables. As validation of the model and parameters, the concentrations obtained experimentally and from the model are compared and are found to be in good agreement.     

The distribution of 137Cs and 90Sr in the biomass of pine trees planted in 1987-1988 in the near zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

This paper presents the results of a study, carried out in 1996, of the distributions of 137Cs and 90Sr in the biomass of a new pine plantation, planted in 1987-1988, in the near field of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The maximum observed concentrations were 4.2 MBq kg(-1) for 137Cs in the youngest needles and 1.1 MBq kg(-1) for 90Sr in the oldest needles. The estimation of the total absorbed doses in the different organs of the pine was also carried out, the observed doses were in the range 2 Gy yr(-1) to 16.8 Gy yr(-1); the lifetime dose for the needles (4 yr) was 44 Gy.