Tritium along the banks of the Danube and the Black Sea shore of Romania

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Determination of tritium along Danube River Banks, in shallow waters, from Bazia? to Sulina, led to an average value of 29 TU and to a slight...     

Environmental dose rate distribution along the Romanian Black Sea Shore

The ambient dose rate distribution, measured along the Southern sector of Romanian Black Sea shore, between Vama Veche in South and Chituc sandbank in North gave, with some notable exception, values between 34 and 54 nSv/h, lower than the 90 nSv/h, the average value for Romania. The experimental dose rates increase northward, reaching a maximum in the vicinity the Chituc sandbank, i.e. at the Vadu and Corbu beaches. According to gamma ray measurements performed in the Slanic-Prahova Low-Background Radiation Laboratory on the sand collected from the same location, the natural radionuclides have a major contribution to observes dose rate while the contribution of the anthropogenic ¹³⁷Cs, 26 years after Chernobyl accident, remains almost negligible. By taking into account both activity concentrations of radionuclides and the contribution of cosmic rays, we have calculated the local values of dose rate, which showed to be, within experimental uncertainties, coincident with the experimental ones. Moreover, on Chituc sandbank, we have noticed the presence of some local maxima, two to three times higher than the average ones. Further investigations showed an increased content of natural radionuclides, most probably accumulated in the heavy minerals fraction—a common occurrence in the vicinity of Danube Delta.     

Plutonium concentration distribution in bed load sediment samples along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of²³⁸Pu and^{239, 240}Pu were determined in 12 sediment samples collected from the bed of the Romanian Danube river and Black Sea coast during June–September 1994. After the sample material has been properly prepared and²⁴²Pu tracer added, plutonium was separated from americium and curium by anion exchange. After electrodeposition on stainless steel discs the elements were counted with an -spectrometry system with silicon surface-barrier detectors. The^{239, 240}Pu concentrations range between 150 and 800 mBq kg^–1 dry, while the²³⁸Pu concentrations rise up to max 150 mBq kg^–1 dry. Although the chemical yields are rather low (51%) we appreciate the results as valuable since they report for the first time the distribution of the plutonium contamination along the Danube river and the Black Sea coast-Romanian sector.     

Polonium concentration distribution in bed load sediment samples along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of²¹⁰Po have been determined in 12 sediment samples collected from the bed of the Romanian Danube river and the Black Sea coast during June–September 1994. After the sample preparation and the addition of the²⁰⁸Po tracer, polonium was coprecipitated with manganese dioxide, the precipitate was dissolved in hydrochloric acid and the polonium isotopes deposited on silver planchettes were counted by -spectrometry. The resolution of the subsequent -spectra was typically 40 to 60 keV full-width-half-maximum with 450 mm² silicon surface-barrier detectors at 30% counting efficiency. The procedure is quite fast, giving chemical yields between 60 and 80%. The²¹⁰Po concentrations range between 5 and 73 Bq kg^–1 dry, showing for the first time the polonium contamination distribution along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast.     

Tritium measurement in the Western Caucasus

Measurement of tritium in water of rains, springs, wells, mud volcanoes and rivers, lakes of the Western Caucasus (Krasnodar region) has been carried out since 1997 for hydrogeology, engineering geology, ecology and seismology. Electrolytic cells with spiral electrodes and the big multiwire proportional chamber were used for low tritium concentration measurements on expeditions. With the new design of the cell the enrichment factor of 64.0 ± 1.5 % was obtained during the electrolytic process. Correlation of tritium concentration is observed in mud volcanoes and spring water with regional seismicity. The long-term tritium data are shown in natural waters in South Russia.     

Correlated concentration distributions of natural alpha-radionuclides in sediment samples along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of²³⁸U and²³²Th were determined by neutron activation analysis using epithermal irradiation in 12 sediment samples, collected along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast during 1994. The concentrations of²²⁶Ra were determined by the emanation method in the same sediment samples. The concentration ranges obtained were compared also with the²¹⁰Po concentration range for the same sector, reported in a previous paper. The accumulation potential of -emitting radionuclides in the analysed sediments is discussed.     

Distribution of activity concentration and dose rates in selected coastal areas on western and eastern Black Sea

Radioactivity measurements were performed, at the east (Georgia) and west (Romania) part of the Black Sea, for natural radionuclides and ¹³⁷Cs in collected water and sediment samples using lab-based and in situ gamma-ray spectrometry. The activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs at Georgian area in the sediment and seawater ranged between 20 to 50 Bq kg⁻¹ and 8 to 25 Bq m⁻³, respectively while at the Romanian area the activity concentration ranged from 10 to 30 Bq kg⁻¹ and 3 to 15 Bq m⁻³, respectively. The activity concentration values of ⁷Be at the Georgian area reached values up to (30 ± 4) Bq kg⁻¹. The induced dose rates to marine organisms in both areas estimated by the ERICA assessment tool were much lower than the screening value of 10 μGy h⁻¹.

     

Artificial radioactive contamination of sediments along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of⁹⁰Sr,²³⁸Pu,^239,240Pu and²⁴¹Am were determined in 12 sediment samples, collected from the bed of the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast during 1996–1997. The samples were dissolved using a microwave digestion technique which left the refractory part of the samples undissolved. Part of the samples were also dissolved totally by alkaline fusion. The results obtained after radiochemical separations and measurement of the radionuclides by the two dissolution methods were compared recommending the optimum method. The radioactive contamination of the investigated sector in 1996–1997 is compared with the results obtained for the same locations in 1994–1995 reported in previous papers.     

Natural depuration rate and concentration of cesium-137 radionuclide in Black Sea macro algae

Cesium-137 concentrations in red, brown and green algae have been studied for the calculation of natural depuration rates. The algae species were collected from the same population of the Black Sea stations during the period of 1986–1995. The natural depuration rates are estimated as biological half-lives. The pattern of depuration results represented by a single component for each algae division. The biological half-lives of¹³⁷Cs in red (Phyllophora nervosa), green (Chaetomorpha linum) and brown (Cystoceira barbata) algae are estimated to be 18.5, 21.6 and 29.3 months, respectively.¹³⁷Cs and⁴⁰K activity levels and their ratios in algae species in two stations in Black Sea region of Turkey have been determined during the period of 1990–1995. The results showed that the Sinop region was more contaminated than the ile region on the Black Sea coast of Turkey from the Chernobyl accident.     

Artificial radioactive contamination of sediment samples along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of¹³⁷Cs were determined by in 11 sediment samples, collected along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast during 1994 γ-ray spectrometry. The concentrations of⁹⁰Sr in the same sediment samples were determined by β-counting of the⁹⁰Y oxalate, precipitated after strontium separation using a strontium extraction chromatography column. The concentration distributions of¹³⁷Cs and⁹⁰Sr are compared with the²³⁸Pu and^239,240Pu concentration distributions in the same samples, reported in a previous paper. The accumulation potential of¹³⁷Cs,⁹⁰Sr and plutonium isotopes in the river and sea sediments analysed is discussed.     

Plutonium and americium in sediment samples along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of²³⁸Pu,^239,240Pu and²⁴¹Am were determined in eight sediment samples, collected from the bed of the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast during 1994 and 1995. Fusion with potassium carbonate was used to achieve complete dissolution of the samples. Tracers,²⁴²Pu and²⁴³Am, were added and the separation of plutonium from americium, uranium and thorium was performed by anion exchange. Americium was separated from uranium in two steps, using a conventional anion exchange resin and an extraction chromatographic resin for transuranics. After electrodeposition on stainless steel discs the nuclides were counted with -spectrometry with -PIPS detectors. The total plutonium concentrations obtained by this method were compared with the acid leachable plutonium concentrations reported for the same samples in a previous paper.     

Tritium concentrations of the deep sea-water in the Japan Sea and the Pacific Ocean

Tritium concentrations were determined for sea-water samples collected from the Japan Sea and the Pacific Ocean. In the Japan Sea, it was recognized that tritium was distributed around 2000 m in depth. This means that the vertical mixing of water mass is taking place. On the other hand, in the Pacific Ocean, the tritium concentration appears to reach zero at about 1000 m although more than 1 TU concentration are detected for samples collected from deeper water. Hypothetical origins of tritium in the deep water in the Pacific Ocean are discussed.     

Chernobyl radioactivity on the Black Sea coast of Turkey

After the Chernobyl reactor accident, Eastern Black Sea coast was one of the heavily contaminated regions of Turkey. Clouds loaded with radioactive isotopes arrived the region on May 1986 and emptied their contents with the heavy rains that are frequently seen in the region. In order to asses the current level of contamination, several different samples, moss, lichen, litter, surface soil and soil cores were collected on August 1994. Samples were brought to the laboratory and their moisture, pH and organic matter contents were determined. Gamma-ray spectra of the samples were collected with a HpGe detector. (137)Cs was the major isotope observed. Activity of most litter samples were below 1000 Bq/kg, while most of the moss samples had activities below 5000 Bq/kg, there were a few with higher (137)Cs activities. Surface soil samples generally had activities less than 2000 Bq/kg and depth profiles of cesium activities in the soil cores showed regional variations.     

Chernobyl radioactivity on the Black Sea coast of Turkey

After the Chernobyl reactor accident, Eastern Black Sea coast was one of the heavily contaminated regions of Turkey. Clouds loaded with radioactive isotopes arrived the region on May 1986 and emptied their contents with the heavy rains that are frequently seen in the region. In order to asses the current level of contamination, several different samples, moss, lichen, litter, surface soil and soil cores were collected on August 1994. Samples were brought to the laboratory and their moisture, pH and organic matter contents were determined. Gamma-ray spectra of the samples were collected with a HpGe detector. ¹³⁷Cs was the major isotope observed. Activity of most litter samples were below 1000 Bq/kg, while most of the moss samples had activities below 5000 Bq/kg, there were a few with higher ¹³⁷Cs activities. Surface soil samples generally had activities less than 2000 Bq/kg and depth profiles of cesium activities in the soil cores showed regional variations.     

Tritium activity levels in drinking water of Adana,Turkey

Tritium activity in potable drinking water samples from Adana city were measured using liquid scintillation counting after distillation procedure. The results exposed that the activity concentrations of the tritium measured in one-third of these samples were lower than minimum detectable activity which has a value of 2 Bq/L for counting time of 1,500 min. However, the maximum and mean value of the tritium activity was found to be 9.1 Bq/L (77.3 TU) and 7.0 Bq/l (59.4 TU), respectively. These values were substantially below the 100 Bq/L which is normative limit in Turkey for waters intended for human consumption. The highest values of annual effective dose received by infants, children and adults due to measured tritium activity were estimated as 0.041, 0.057 and 0.120 μSv/y, respectively.     

Chernobyl-derived radiocesium in mosses in the Black Sea area

Radiocesium (¹³⁴Cs and¹³⁷Cs) activity levels in mosses from the Black Sea area, northern Turkey, are reported following the Chernobyl accident during the period of 1989–1991. The cesium radionuclides were detected and measured in all the samples but other longlived radionuclides such as¹⁴⁴Ce and¹⁰⁶Ru were measured in only one sample. The present data support the fact that radioactivity monitoring in mosses can be useful to determine the lasting effect of radioactive contamination.     

Activity concentrations of selected artificial and natural radionuclides in water and sediment samples from the North Western Black Sea, 1999

Radioactive concentrations of several artificial and natural radionuclides were determined in water and sediment samples collected from various locations in the NW Black Sea in December 1999. For water samples, ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations were of approximately 11 mBq/l and 26.3-41.2 mBq/l, respectively. The concentration of tritium ranged from 7 to 24 T.U. In sediment samples, maximum concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs, ^239+240Pu and ²⁴¹Am were found of 128±6 Bq·kg^-1, 1.8±0.1 Bq·kg^-1 and 0.05±0.04 Bq·kg^-1, respectively. For U and Th radionuclides, the concentrations ranged from 20-80 Bq·kg^-1 and 30-50 Bq·kg^-1, respectively. The results were consistent with those reported in earlier research for the Black Sea. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Some investigations of sea sands from the Black Sea coastline

Alpha to spontaneous fission branching ratios of heavy actinides such as²³⁸Pu and²⁴⁰Pu in solution have been determined by solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs). The detectors used in the present studies are LR-115, CR-39 (DOP), Lexan polycarbonate and Tuffak polycarbonate. Before using Tuffak polycarbonate, a detailed and systematic study on the registration and chemical etching characteristics of fission fragment tracks in this detector was also carried out. The experimentally measured values of alpha to spontaneous fission ratios by this method are found to agree well with the expected values.