Long-Lived Radioiodine in Japanese Environment

The amount of long-lived radioiodine, ¹²⁹I (half-life 1.57·10⁷ y) in the Japanese environment has been studied by measuring thyroids of humans and animals. The collected samples were thyroids of (1) humans in Ibaraki Prefecture, in Kanto district, the central part of Japan, (2) cattle in Aomori Prefecture, north part of Japan, and (3) wild deer in Chiba Prefecture, in Kanto district. The measured mean isotopic ratio ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I for thyroids of cattle in Aomori Prefecture is 3.5±1.8·10^-9. A higher value of 14±5·10^-9 has been obtained for thyroids of wild deer in Kanto district. On the other hand, the measured ratio for human thyroids in Kanto district is 1±0.2·10^-9. This value is significantly lower than that of cattle thyroids in Aomori and also those reported for human thyroids in Europe and USA. The higher mean ratio for cattle thyroid in Kanto district is possibly explained by the influence of nuclear reprocessing plant. Lower mean ratio for human thyroid might be due to higher dietary intake of algae.     

Activation analytical determination of129I in bovine thyroid glands

The continued erection of nuclear installations which is expected in the future involves a greater production of long-lived fission products, which result in a concentration increase in the biosphere, the hydrosphere and the atmosphere. In the frame of a broad survey program, a routine method has been developed with the help of the European Communities to investigate the¹²⁹I content of thyroid glands of cows. It is the purpose of this project to determine the present concentration situation of this nuclide, which in the Federal Republic of Germany mainly concerns the North German low plains. Between autumn '76 and summer '77 18 cows have been investigated with respect to¹²⁹I, and thyroid glands have been taken at different times in November '76 and August '77. Without exception, the animals were 13-month old bulls, part of which has pastured, while the other part has been fed. The detection limit of the method is 20fCi of¹²⁹I.     

Determination of lead concentrations and isotope ratios in recent snow samples from high alpine sites with a double focusing ICP-MS

A double focusing ICP-MS, equipped with a Micro Concentric Nebulizer, has been used to determine concentrations and isotopic ratios of lead in recent snow samples (1993–1996) from high alpine sites in Switzerland. Concentrations varied between 0.02 ± 0.002 and 5.5 ± 0.15 ng/g and are slightly lower than concentrations reported by Atteia [1], by Batifol et al. [2], and by Wagenbach et al. [3] for precipitation samples from similar remote sites in Europe. Since concentrations of lead in the fresh snow samples were mainly in the lower pg/g range, the method to determine the isotopic ratios ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb had to be optimized. They could finally be determined with an average standard error of 0.14% within 12 min and a total sample consumption of 0.8 mL. The average ratios ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb were 0.875 and 2.117, respectively. These values are comparable to isotopic compositions of lead in aerosols collected in Western Europe [4] and are less radiogenic than predicted by Grousset et al. [5]. Our data indicate that, although lead emissions from traffic have decreased largely during the last 10 years, the contribution from this source in modern snow is still detectable and seems to be equal to the lead input from other anthropogenic sources (e.g. waste incineration, industry).     

Distribution of 131I, 134Cs, 137Cs and 239,240Pu concentrations in Korean rainwater after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident

Radionuclides such as ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs, and ^239,240Pu in Korean rainwater have been analyzed by Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) since the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in March 2011 to investigate the activity level, distribution pattern, and temporal variation and to assess the radiation dose the public is exposed to. The concentration of ¹³¹I in the Korean rainwater samples varied between 0.033 (minimum detectable activity; MDA) and 1.30 Bq kg^?1 and the concentrations tended to decrease exponentially with time. The concentrations of ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs in rainwater ranged from 0.01 to 334 ± 74 and 0.29 ± 0.01 to 276 ± 1 mBq kg^?1, respectively. The mean activity ratio of ¹³⁷Cs/¹³⁴Cs in the rainwater samples collected from April 18 to May 12 was estimated to be 0.44 ± 0.21, and this value is lower than that (ca. 1) observed in Fukushima, Japan, when there was an escape from the nuclear reactors. When an attempt was made to analyze Pu isotopes in rainwater samples, no Pu isotopes were detected above the MDA in any of the rainwater samples. Although the locations investigated were different from Asia to Europe, the concentrations of ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs in the rainwater are comparable, which suggests a global contamination of ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs, and ¹³⁷Cs occurred because of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident.     

Analysis of low-level 129I in brine using accelerator mass spectrometry

An improved solvent extraction procedure for iodine separation from brine samples has been applied at Xi’an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) center. Oil in the brine sample has to be removed to avoid appearance of the third phase during solvent extraction and to improve the chemical yield of iodine. The small amount of oil remained in the water phase was first removed by phase separation through settling down sufficiently based on their immiscibility, and then by filtration through a cellulose filter, on which oil was absorbed and removed. After oil removed, extraction recovery of iodine could achieve more than 90 %. The sodium bisulfite as an effective reductant should be added before acidification to avoid loss of iodine by formation of I₂ in sample via reaction of iodate and iodide at pH 1–2, and then pH was adjusted to 1–2 to reduce the iodate to iodide followed by oxidation of iodide to I₂ and solvent extraction to separate all inorganic iodine. As a pre-nuclear era sample, ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratio in brine is normally more than two orders of magnitude lower than that in present surface environmental samples, so prevention of cross-contamination and memory effect in apparatus during processing procedure are very critical for obtaining reliable results, and monitoring the procedure blank is very important for analytical quality of ¹²⁹I. The ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I isotopic ratio in the brine samples and procedure blank of iodine reagents were measured to be (1.9–2.7) × 10^?13 and 2.08 × 10^?13, respectively, 3–4 orders of magnitudes lower than that in environmental samples in Xi’an, and the result of procedure blank is in the same level as the previous experiments in past 3 years, indicating contamination is not observed in our method.     

Determination of129I and127I in environmental samples by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

In order to assess the levels and behavior of¹²⁹I (half-life: 1.6×10⁷ y) and¹²⁷I (stable) in the environment, we have developed analytical procedures involving neutron activation analysis (NAA). Environmental samples collected around Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, have been analyzed using this method. Ranges of¹²⁹I and¹²⁷I concentrations in surface soil were 0.9–180 mBq kg^–1 and 1–60 mg kg^–1, respectively. Higher¹²⁹I concentrations were found in soil samples collected from coniferous forests, suggesting a contribution from tree canopies in the deposition of this nuclide. Most of the¹²⁹I in soil, was found to be retained in the first 10 cm. The¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratios in wheat fields were lower than those in rice paddy fields.A soil sample collected by IAEA from an area contaminated by the Chemobyl accident was also determined. The¹²⁹I concentration and the¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratio were 1.6 mBq kg^–1 and 1.7×10^–7, respectively. The¹²⁹I level in this sample was higher than the values obtained in areas far from nuclear facilities in Japan. It was suggested that the analysis of¹²⁹I in soils in the Chernobyl area may be useful in evaluating the¹³¹I levels at the time of the accident.Analyses of¹²⁹I and¹²⁷I by ICP-MS in water samples were also made. The analytical speed of this method was very high, i.e., 3 minutes for a sample. However, there is a sensitivity limitation for¹²⁹I detection due to interference from¹²⁹Xe with the¹²⁹I peak. The detection limits for¹²⁹I and¹²⁷I in water samples were about 0.5 mBq ml^–1 and 0.1 ng ml^–1, respectively.     

Tritium level in Japanese diet and human tissue

Tritium concentrations are reported for diet and human tissue samples collected in the Akita district of northern Japan. Sixteen separate food group samples and a total diet sample were collected for Akita City during April and May 1987. Six samples of heart and nine samples of kidney tissue were collected from 10 decreased individuals in Akita Prefecture from January to July 1986. Five serum and four blood samples were also obtained in Akita Prefecture from December 1985 to June 1986. Free water³H concentration as well as tissue-bound³H were determined separately. Specific activity ratios of tissue-bound³H to free water³H in the samples were almost between 1.0 and 2.0 and were similar to our previous results for food samples and other tissue samples. The specific activity ratio was also found to be lower than that reported in the U.S.A. and significantly lower than in Europe.     

Determination of129I and127I in human thyroid blocks containing mercury as a preservative

A solvent extraction techniques has been developed to separate iodine from mercury contained in thyroid tissues for the determinations of¹²⁹I and¹²⁷I in human thyroid blocks by neutron activation analysis. The tissue samples are digested with a mixture of 5 ml HCl and 1 ml HNO₃ in a round-bottomed flask fitted with a condenser running with cold water to avoid any loss of iodine. Iodine is extracted into 0.1 M dihexyl sulfide solution in xylene leaving the majority of the mercury in the aqueous phase. Iodine is adsorbed on activated charcoal packed in quartz tubes either by heating the xylene containing iodine in the presence of oxygen or by heating the aqueous solution obtained after back extracting iodine from xylene using a saturated sulfur dioxide solution. Iodine is desorbed from the charcoal and trapped into a quartz ampule which is sent for neutron activation.     

129I levels in soils from Ukraine and Slovenia in the last decade

¹²⁹I is important as an environmental tracer of the biogeochemical cycling of iodine and of the dissemination of nuclear pollution, because anthropogenic ¹²⁹I has been released from only few point sources and with its short mixing time its distribution therefore reveals the movement of ¹²⁹I in the environment. A radiochemical neutron activation analysis method was developed to measure the concentration of ¹²⁹I in soil samples. A procedure to pre-concentrate iodine from up to 150?g of soil was developed and validated using IAEA standard reference material IAEA-375 (Chernobyl soil). The method was applied to determine ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I isotopic ratios as well as ¹²⁹I and ¹²⁷I concentrations in soils from several locations in Ukraine collected in 2006, 1996, 1993 and 1989, and from Slovenia, collected at various places in 2009 and 2006. The ¹²⁷I concentrations in surface soils from Ukraine were in the range 2.3–23.1?µg?g^?1 and for ¹²⁹I (11.1–245.7)?·?10^?8?µg?g^?1 dry matter with the highest value of 1.47?·?10^?3?µg?g^?1 found in a soil sample collected in Yaniv, Ukraine in July 1993. In soil samples from Slovenia ¹²⁷I concentrations ranged 0.73–130?µg?g^?1 and ¹²⁹I (8.0–245.7)?·?10^?8?µg?g^?1. The ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I isotopic ratios of surface soils from Ukraine were in the range of the order of 10^?9–10^?5 and of 10^?10–10^?8 for soils from Slovenia. The highest isotopic ratio 13.6?·?10^?5 was found in a soil sample collected in Yaniv, Ukraine in July 1993.     

Variation of counting efficiency in determination of 131I activity in the thyroid gland as a result of its position relative to the detector

The appropriate determination of the ¹³¹I which was absorbed into the human body, especially by thyroid, depends not only on individual features of each measurement subjects but also on reproducibility of their position or the thyroid’s position in the human neck. Possible uncertainties caused by changes of the thyroid position relative to detector were studied in a series of measurements. The research has shown that the dispersion of the results can reach up even to the level of 50 %.     

Determination of 129I in biomonitors collected in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant by neutron activation analysis

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to determine ¹²⁹I and the ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratio in bovine thyroid, moss, and river sediment samples collected in the vicinity of the Temelín nuclear power plant (NPP) in south Bohemia. The NAA procedures comprised pre-irradiation separation of ¹²⁹I by combustion of the samples in the stream of oxygen at 1,000 °C and trapping the liberated iodine in a LiOH/(NH₄)₂SO₃ solution. Post-irradiation separation of ¹³⁰I produced by the reaction ¹²⁹I(n,γ)¹³⁰I was carried out by extraction of elementary iodine with chloroform followed by precipitation of PdI₂. Nondestructive, epithermal NAA was used to determine ¹²⁷I employing the ¹²⁷I(n,γ)¹²⁸I reaction. The results showed that mean values of ¹²⁹I and the ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratio in the bovine thyroids varied from 22 to 61 mBq kg^?1 (dry mass) and 2.8 × 10^?9 to 5.4 × 10^?9, respectively. These values are close to the lower end of results reported from various regions non-polluted with ¹²⁹I. No significant differences were found between ¹²⁹I concentrations and the ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratios in the bovine thyroids collected prior to the start and after several years of operation of the NPP. The mean value and standard deviation of ¹²⁹I in mBq kg^?1, dry mass and the ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratio in moss Pleurozium schreberi were 23 ± 16 and 2.3 × 10^?9, respectively, whereas values of ¹²⁹I in the river sediments were below 8–10 mBq kg^?1 (dry mass) after several years of the NPP operation.     

Determination of U isotope ratios in sediments using ICP-QMS after sample cleanup with anion-exchange and extraction chromatography

The determination of uranium is important for environmental radioactivity monitoring, which investigates the releases of uranium from nuclear facilities and of naturally occurring radioactive materials by the coal, oil, natural gas, mineral, ore refining and phosphate fertilizer industries, and it is also important for studies on the biogeochemical behavior of uranium in the environment. In this paper, we describe a quadrupole ICP-MS (ICP-QMS)-based analytical procedure for the accurate determination of U isotope ratios (²³⁵U/²³⁸U atom ratio and ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio) in sediment samples. A two-stage sample cleanup using anion-exchange and TEVA extraction chromatography was employed in order to obtain accurate and precise ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios. The factors that affect the accuracy and precision of U isotope ratio analysis, such as detector dead time, abundance sensitivity, dwell time and mass bias were carefully evaluated and corrected. With natural U, a precision lower than 0.5% R.S.D. for ²³⁵U/²³⁸U atom ratio and lower than 2.0% R.S.D. for ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio was obtained with less than 90 ng uranium. The developed analytical method was validated using an ocean sediment reference material and applied to an investigation into the uranium isotopic compositions in a sediment core in a brackish lake in the vicinity of U-related nuclear facilities in Japan.     

An alternative intraarterial therapeutic agent for hepatic tumors:131I lipiodol/histoacryl mixture

Lipiodol has excellent retainable ability in hepatoma cells. This agent can be labeled with radioisotope (¹³¹I) and mixed with tissue adhesive (Histoacryl), and then alttached on the lesion of liver by intrahepatic arterial administration. In this study, we attempt to obtain the optimal ratio of Lipiodol to Histoacryl and evaluate the consolidation of blood in vitro and toxicity and biodistribution in vivo. The ratio of¹³¹I Lipiodol/Histoacryl mixture (L/H), concentration of heparin and flow rate of blood are varied by simulating the installation of bloodstream to test the time of consolidation. In addition, the optimal ratios of the L/H mixtures are assessed in vitro in heparinized human blood. According to those results, Lipiodol and Histoacryl mixed with 1∶1 or 2∶1 ratio have an ideal time of 13 to 15 seconds in vitro; in addition, 1.2∶1 ratio is an optimal ratio in the biodistribution study. Interestingly, heparin and acetic acid does not alter the consolidation time, in addition, no variation occurs when varying the flow rate of blood. The consolidation of L/H mixture with blood is incubated in the 37°C, normal saline bath for 24 hours. No dissociation of free¹³¹I is found. The optimal mixture is also injected into the hepatic artery of the Sprague-Dawley rats carrying for 24 hours. No dissociation of free¹³¹I is found. The optimal mixture is also injected into the hepatic artery of the Sprague-Dawley rats carrying hepatocellular carcinoma (NIS1 cell line). Radioactive consolidate is well confined in the tumor without evidence of leakage of the mixture to the lung or distribution of free¹³¹I in the thyroid. In conclusion, this mixture has the merits of both irradiation and embolization of the tumor. The¹³¹I Lipiodol/Histoacryl mixture (1.2∶1) is a promising alternative for intrahepatic arterial administration to treat hepatic tumors. Histoacryl can confine the¹³¹I and, also, embolize the tumor vessels.     

The concentration of 131I in the thyroid glands of domestic animals

Iodine-131 concentrations in thyroid glands of cows, oxen and swine carried in the Yokohama slauterhouse were measured. The gamma-ray spectral analysis was done with a Ge(Li) detecter. It is considered that 131I in thyroid glands of domestic animals resulted from Chinese open-air nuclear tests and radioactive materials used at medical facilities. It is presumed that 131I from medical facilities was taken in swine thyroid glands from the leaving of meals of patients.     

Production of123I on linear electron accelerator using highly-enriched124Xe

Highly enriched xenon¹²⁴Xe /99.85%/ has been used for the experimental production of iodine¹²³I by the /,n/ reaction. As the radiation source served a 30–45 MeV electron beam produced by a linear accelerator and converted by a tungsten converter to -radiation. The yield and radionuclidic purity of¹²³I have been estimated, the content of isotopic impurities /¹²⁴I and¹²⁵I/ being for 30 MeV irradiations lower than 4×10^–3%/.     

Synthesis of radioiodinated 4-[*I]iodoantipyrine via isotopic exchange

Radioiodinated 4-[*I]iodoantipyrine labeled with radioiodine (i.e., ¹²³I or ¹²⁵I or ¹³¹I) has been used for modeling radiation damage on cell nuclei of tumor cells where the characteristic high linear energy transfer (high-LET) of the Auger electron could be demonstrated. Also, the compound is currently used for the measurement of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in autoradiography. 4-[¹³¹I]iodoantipyrine was synthesized by two methods via a nucleophilic isotopic exchange reaction between ¹³¹I as iodide ion [¹³¹I^–] and inactive 4-[¹²⁷I]iodoantipyrine: either in absolute ethyl alcohol catalyzed by ammonium acetate or in dry state molten ammonium acetate (m.p. 114 °C) as an isotopic exchange medium without carrier addition. The first one is called wet method: where a solution of 4-iodoantipyrine and ammonium acetate in absolute ethyl alcohol and lyophilized Na¹³¹I was heated briefly up to boiling (80 to 90 °C) for 30 minutes under reflux. The second one is called dry state-molten method: where the alcoholic solution containing 4-iodoantipyrine and ammonium acetate and the lyophilized Na¹³¹I were heated briefly in a nitrogen stream to dryness at 120 to 125 °C for 5 minutes or melted by gradual heating at 150 to 160 °C for 5 minutes. A radiochemical yield ranged between 90%–95% in each method has been obtained for 4-[¹³¹I]iodoantipyrine. In both methods, the reaction proceeds properly without carrier addition by an addition – elimination mechanism. The physico-chemical parameters affecting the radiochemical yield of the isotopic exchange reaction [i.e., reaction time, temperature, exchange medium, concentration of the reactants, carrier (KI) addition and pH] were investigated. Chromatographic analysis i.e., TLC and HPLC were used to determine the radiochemical yield as well as the purity of the final product, which was as pure as 99.9%.     

Determination of 129I in cement-solidified radwastes using neutron activation

The purpose of this study is to develop a neutron activation method to determine trace amounts of ¹²⁹I in cement-solidified radwastes. The radwaste samples were alkaline fused using KOH and then ¹²⁹I and iodine carrier were chemically separated by solvent extraction before and after neutron irradiation. Both stable iodine (¹²⁷I) and ¹²⁹I can be activated by neutrons through ¹²⁷I (n, 2n) ¹²⁶I and ¹²⁹I (n, γ) ¹³⁰I reactions; their activated radionuclides were counted together with a high-purity germanium detector. The chemical recovery yields ranged from 30 to 60 %, and it was found that more than 99.9 % of interfering radionuclides can be removed using solvent extraction after neutron irradiation. The minimum detectable amounts can be lowered to less than 1 mBq g^?1, which is superior to low energy γ-ray spectrometry by a factor of >10², on average. The established technique can be applied to re-evaluation of ¹²⁹I content in radwastes that can be re-classified to lower classes, and the cost for designing a final disposal facility can be significantly reduced.     

Rapid radiochemical analysis of 131I in environmental samples using a well-type Ge-detector

Large-scale production of ¹³¹I in a nuclear reactor, the gaseous nature of ¹³¹I, and its selective uptake by the human thyroid gland, make this radioisotope a health hazard in the event of a nuclear accident. The maximum concentration of ¹³¹I in drinking water has been set at 1 pCi/l. Human ingestion of ¹³¹I through the grass-cow-milk pathway makes milk an environmentally significant matrix to be monitored for. In this paper, we report a simple and a rapid radiochemical procedure for the analysis of ¹³¹I in water and milk samples. A quick single-step separation on anion-exchange resin concentrates radioiodine from large sample volumes. The resin is then directly counted in the cavity of a low-background well-type HPGe detector that has high counting efficiency for X-rays and low-energy -radiation. Chemical recovery is evaluated from the intensity of the 29.6 keV X-rays of the ¹²⁹I spike, and ¹³¹I is assayed through the intensity of its 364.5 keV g-peak. The method's minimum detection limit is 0.5 pCi ¹³¹I based on a 1 liter sample and a 200-minute count.     

Determination of 129I/127I ratios in environmental samplesusing neutron activation analysis

Studies on the behavior of ¹²⁹I in the environment are greatly enhanced when the concentration of the radioiodine can be related to stable ¹²⁷I. The background ratios of ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I of 10^-10 and lower, found in uncontaminated areas, are best measured using accelerator mass spectrometry. However, there are many examples of studies where ratios higher than 10^-8 have been measured, even in places located remotely from nuclear reprocessing activities. In the vicinity of reprocessing plants it is possible to find ratios between 10⁰ and 10^-7, which can be detected easily using neutron activation analysis (NAA). Stable iodine is readily determined at concentrations below 1 mg/kg in environmental materials with instrumental NAA and radiochemical techniques can be used to measure ¹²⁹I to below mBq concentrations. Therefore, where there are elevated concentrations of ¹²⁹I it is possible to use a combination of neutron activation techniques to determine ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratios. This paper describes how NAA is used to measure ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I ratios in milk, vegetation, and atmospheric samples. Instrumental NAA is used to measure both ¹²⁹I and ¹²⁷I where the ratio is between 10⁰ and 10^-3. A radiochemical procedure is used to measure ¹²⁹I at ratios between 10^-3 and 10^-7, with a thermal neutron flux of 10¹⁶ m^-2·s^-1.     

Input of 129I into the western Pacific Ocean resulting from the Fukushima nuclear event

We present an initial characterization of the input of ¹²⁹I into the Pacific Ocean resulting from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. This characterization is based primarily on ¹²⁹I measurements on samples collected from a research cruise conducted in waters off the eastern coast of Japan in June 2011. These measurements were compared with samples intended to reflect pre-Fukushima background that were collected during a May 2011 transect of the Pacific by a commercial container vessel. In surface waters, we observed peak ¹²⁹I concentrations of ~300 μBq/m³ which represents an elevation of nearly three orders of magnitude compared to pre-Fukushima backgrounds. We coupled our ¹²⁹I results with ¹³⁷Cs measurements from the same cruise and derived an average ¹²⁹I/¹³⁷Cs activity ratio of 0.442 × 10^?6 for the effluent from Fukushima. Finally, we present ¹²⁹I depth profiles from five stations from this cruise which form the basis for future studies of ocean transport and mixing process as well as estimations of the total budget of ¹²⁹I released into the Pacific.