Determination of129I in soils of Germany using radiochemical neutron activation analysis

At 5 sampling sites distributed throughout Germany the¹²⁹I concentrations in soils have been measured in individual depth intervals to a depth of 60 cm. These measurements are used to determine the total amount of¹²⁹I in a soil column of 60 cm depth. The data indicate that the¹²⁹I concentrations and the¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I isotope ratios are higher at the sampling locations near the coast compared to the sampling locations in Southern Germany. The total¹²⁹I inventories in the top 60 cm of soils are correlated with the¹²⁹I deposition through rainfall.