Measurement of Radionuclides and Gamma-Ray Dose Rate in Soil and Transfer of Radionuclides from Soil to Vegetation, Vegetable of Some Northern Area of Pakistan Using ��-Ray Spectrometry

The analysis of gamma emitters natural radionuclides, i.e., ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K, has been carried out in soil, vegetation, vegetable, and water samples collected from some Northern area of Pakistan, using gamma-ray spectrometry. The ??-ray spectrometry was carried out using high-purity Germanium detector coupled with a computer-based high-resolution multi-channel analyzer. The activity concentrations in soil ranges from 24.7 to 78.5 Bq?kg^?1, 21.7 to 75.3 Bq?kg^?1, and 298.5 to 570.8 Bq?kg^?1 for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K with the mean value of 42.1, 43.3, 9.5, and 418.3 Bq?kg^?1, respectively. In the present analysis, ⁴⁰K was the major radionuclide present in soil, vegetation, fruit, and vegetable samples. The concentration of ⁴⁰K in vegetation sample varied from 646.6 to 869.6 Bq?kg^?1 on dry weight basis. However, the concentration of ⁴⁰K in fruit and vegetable samples varied from 34.0 to 123.3 Bq?kg^?1 on fresh weight basis. In vegetation samples, along with ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, and ²³²Th were also present in small amount. The transfer factors of these radionuclides from soil to vegetation, fruit, and vegetable were also studied. The transfer factors were found in the order: ⁴⁰K?>?²³²Th????²²⁶Ra. The analysis of water samples showed activity concentrations values for all radionuclides below detection limit. The internal and external hazard indices were measured and found less than the safe limit of unity. The mean value of outdoor and indoor absorbed dose rate in air was found 64.61 and 77.54 nGy?h^?1, respectively. The activity concentrations of radionuclides found in all samples during the current investigation were nominal. Therefore, they are not associated with any potential source of health hazard to the general public.     

Edaphic and physiographic factors affecting the distribution of natural gamma-emitting radionuclides in the soils of the Arnás catchment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees

Gamma‐emitting radionuclides are a natural source of radiation that can be a concern for human health, therefore it is important to know the radionuclide backgrounds in soils and to assess their mobility and transfer in ecosystems. Concentrations of natural radionuclides were determined in soils from a small catchment in the middle mountain environment of the Central Spanish Pyrenees. Radioisotope activities were well within the natural ranges for soil, averaging 27, 26, 32 and 500 Bq kg^?1 for ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²⁰⁸Tl and ⁴⁰K, respectively. Their distributions in the soil profile were analysed along three transects of contrasting physiography and soil type. Uranium was depleted in upper layers of the soil and slightly enriched in deeper sections, while ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K and ²⁰⁸Tl were more uniformly distributed. Radionuclide activities in the Calcaric Regosols on the shrub slope were less than those in the deeper and better developed Haplic Kastanozems under forest and in Calcaric Fluvisols in the valley bottom. These spatial patterns seem to be affected by the soil type; other landscape features, such as slope orientation and vegetation cover, appeared to have an indirect effect. The results indicate that the depth distribution of the radionuclides is affected by some soil properties, including pH, carbonates, organic matter and particle size, and soil processes, such as leaching and adsorption.     

Artificial and natural radionuclides in soils of the southern and middle taiga zones of Komi Republic

Specific activities of artificial (¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr) and natural (⁴⁰К, ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra) radionuclides in background soils of southern and middle taiga of Komi Republic have been estimated with consideration for the landscape-geochemical features of the territory. It has been shown that their accumulation and migration in soils are determined by the following factors: position in relief, texture, and organic matter content. No anomalous zones with increased contents of radionuclides in soils have been revealed.     

The 137Cs technique applied to steep Mediterranean slopes (Part I): the effects of lithology,slope morphology and land use

Concentrations in the soil of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides have been investigated in order to assess the applicability of the ¹³⁷Cs technique in an area of typical Mediterranean steep slopes. This technique can be used to estimate net soil redistribution rates but its potential in areas with shallow and stony soils on hard rock lithology have not been evaluated so far. In this research, the validity of using this technique in stony shallow soils at very steep slopes is discussed together with the relations between radionuclide concentrations and other soil properties, lithology, slope morphology and land use in a Mediterranean environment. Both natural Potassium-40 (⁴⁰K), Uranium-238 (²³⁸U), Thorium-232 (²³²Th) and anthropogenic Caesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) radionuclides have been determined in samples taken along slope transects on uncultivated serpentinite soils and cultivated gneiss soils. In addition to the radionuclide concentrations, parameters such as slope position, slope angle, aspect, soil depth, surface stone cover, moss, litter, vegetation cover, soil crust, stone content and bulk density have been quantified.All the natural radionuclides ⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U, ²³²Th show significantly higher concentrations in the gneiss than in the serpentinite soils, opposed to the ¹³⁷Cs concentration, which is found significantly higher in the serpentinite soils probably because of the difference in clay mineralogy. The exponential decreasing depth distribution of ¹³⁷Cs and its homogeneous spatial distribution emphasise the applicability of the ¹³⁷Cs technique in this ecosystem.Lithology determines the concentration of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides. Land use determines the relations between ¹³⁷Cs concentration/inventory and some soil characteristics. Higher ¹³⁷Cs concentration and inventory are associated with higher percentages of vegetation cover, higher percentage of stones in the soil and higher values of soil bulk density in cultivated gneiss soils. Slope morphology and land use influence the soil redistribution at slope scale. The gneiss slopes show a zonation of four to five areas of differential erosion/accumulation processes corresponding with more regular slopes and soil redistribution due to water erosion and to tillage translocation and erosion. The serpentinites, as an example of a more unstable slope type, show more erosion areas with less accumulation downslope and soil redistribution due to water erosion.     

Concentrations of Radionuclides (<Superscript>226</Superscript>Ra, <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th, <Superscript>40</Superscript>K,and <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs) in Chernozems of Volgograd Oblast Sampled in Different Years

Data on the concentrations of natural (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) and artificial (¹³⁷Cs) radionuclides and on the physicochemical properties of chernozems sampled in different years are presented. In 1952, upon the creation of the Penza-Kamensk state shelterbelt, three deep (up to 3 m) soil pits were examined within the former arable field under two-year-old plantations of ash and maple along the transect crossing the territory of the Beloprudskaya Experimental Station of the USSR Academy of Sciences in Volgograd oblast. The samples from these pits were included into the collection of dated soil samples of the Dokuchaev Central Soil Science Museum. Five pits were examined along the same transect in 2009: three pits under shelterbelts (analogues of the pits studied in 1952) and two pits on arable fields between the shelterbelts. In the past 57 years, certain changes took place in the soil structure, bulk density, and the content and composition of humus. The salt profile of soils changed significantly under the forests. The comparison of distribution patterns of natural soil radionuclides in 1952 and 2009 demonstrated their higher contents at the depth of 10–20 cm in 2009 (except for the western shelterbelt). Background concentrations of natural radionuclides in parent materials and relationships between their distributions and the salt profiles of soils have been determined; they are most clearly observed is the soils under shelterbelts. Insignificant contamination with ¹³⁷Cs (up to 34 Bq/kg) has been found in the samples of 2009 from the upper (0–20 cm) horizon. The activity of ¹³⁷Cs regularly decreases from the east to the west; the highest concentrations of this radionuclide are found in the topmost 10 cm. This allows us to suppose that ¹³⁷Cs was brought with aerial dust by eastern winds, and the shelterbelts served as barriers to the wind flow.     

Consequences of hydrological events on the delivery of suspended sediment and associated radionuclides from the Rh?ne River to the Mediterranean Sea

Purpose

Almost 20 nuclear reactors are situated along the Rh?ne valley, representing Europe??s largest concentration of nuclear power plants. The fate of suspended sediments and natural and artificial particle-bound radionuclides in relation to extreme hydrological events was assessed at the lower course of the Rh?ne River, which provides the main source of water and sediment inputs to the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.

Materials and methods

We sampled water at a high frequency over the period 2001?C2008 and measured suspended particulate matter (SPM) loads and particle-bound natural and artificial radionuclide concentrations at the SORA observatory station in Arles, France. We monitored various hydrological events (either natural or anthropogenic origin) and characterize their influence on concentrations and fluxes.

Results and discussion

The relationship between SPM concentration and the very wide range of water discharges did not differ significantly from previous periods, indicating no significant shift in the average sediment delivery over the last 20?years. Unexpected hydrological events of anthropogenic origin, in particular those associated with flushing of reservoirs that are generally not captured by sampling strategies, were recorded and were shown to transfer significant additional sediment and associated contaminants towards the marine environment. Concentrations of anthropogenic radionuclides associated with sediment (i.e., ¹³⁷Cs, ⁶⁰Co, ⁵⁴Mn, ^110mAg, and Pu isotopes) varied over two to three orders of magnitude during periods of low and moderate flow due to variations in the liquid release from nuclear facilities. Except for Pu isotopes, the concentrations of the various particle-bound radionuclides generally showed a decreasing trend with increasing discharge, revealing the geochemical or anthropogenic background values, and providing a useful flood fingerprint for this large fluvial system before its entry into the marine environment.

Conclusions

Our approach produced key data on the level and fate of suspended solids and radionuclide concentrations during flood events occurring in a large river system that could be contaminated by chronic or accidental radioactive releases. These results are of fundamental importance for further interpretations of sediment dynamics at the river mouth.     

成都经济区不同类型土壤天然放射性核素含量分布特征

利用数据分离技术,从已有的1:25万区域化探数据中提取成都经济区不同类型土壤的²³⁸U,²³²Th,⁴⁰K含量数据,并在实地取样分析的基础上对该区不同类型土地天然放射性核素含量的分布特征进行了研究。结果表明:(1)该区土壤天然放射性核素含量与世界、全国和四川省处于同一水平;(2)黄壤、棕壤、紫色土、水稻土、灰潮土、草毡土的天然放射性核素含量分别为:²³⁸U:3.18,2.40,2.12,2.45,2.48和2.73,均值30.41(单位为10^-6 g/g);²³²Th:14.27,14.64,11.67,13.98,13.41和14.09,均值54.35(单位10^-6 g/g);⁴⁰K:2.06,2.38,1.94,1.74,1.83和2.22,均值1.98(单位为10^-2 g/g);(3)不同类型土壤的天然放射性含量大小顺序表现为:²³⁸U:黄壤 >草毡土 >灰潮土 >水稻土 >棕壤 >紫色土;²³²Th:棕壤 >黄壤 >草毡土 >水稻土 >灰潮土 >紫色土;⁴⁰K:棕壤 >草毡土 >黄壤 >紫色土 >灰潮土 >水稻土;(4)同类型土壤的天然放射性核素含量,平原地区比高山地区低。     

Levels of 131I and Six Natural Radionuclides in Sludge from the Sewage Treatment Plant of Valladolid, Spain

The levels of ¹³¹I and six natural radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁴Ra, and ⁴⁰K) were determined in sewage sludge samples obtained from an urban wastewater treatment plant that services a medium-sized town in Spain. Secondary treatment of wastewater consisting of anaerobic, anoxic, and oxic stages is collectively called A2O processing. Radio analytical determinations were performed by gamma spectrometry using a high-purity germanium detector. This technique has proven useful in identifying local radioactive pollution. This type of pollution was consistently detected throughout the year, with several increases associated with authorized discharges from hospitals. Finally, we examined the radiation dose that workers are exposed to due to the presence of ¹³¹I in the sludge. We found inhalation risk to be negligible, with external radiation as the main source of exposure to ¹³¹I.     

基于CSLE模型的天山北坡西白杨沟流域土壤侵蚀定量评价

[目的]定量评价天山北坡西白杨沟流域水土流失土壤侵蚀状况,分析其分布特征,为区域水土保持以及生态环境建设提供科学依据。[方法]以新疆维吾尔自治区乌鲁木齐县西白杨沟流域为研究区,采用样地调查与地理信息系统(GIS)、遥感(RS)技术相结合方法和CSLE模型,对西白杨沟流域进行土壤水力侵蚀评价及侵蚀强度空间分布分析。[结果]天山北坡西白杨沟流域平均土壤侵蚀模数748.91 t/(km~2·a)。地形对土壤侵蚀强度影响明显,在坡度20°～40°区域,土壤侵蚀模数最高,为1 127.22～1 229.62 t/(km~2·a)。缓坡(20°)区域,坡度对土壤侵蚀模数呈正效应,而在陡坡(40°～70°)区域,坡度对土壤侵蚀模数呈负效应。土壤侵蚀主要发生在南坡、东南坡和东坡;不同土地利用方式对土壤水力侵蚀程度影响不同,表现为:呈灌木林地[1 709.80 t/(km~2·a)]有林地[1 389.40 t/(km~2·a)]天然牧草地[605.20 t/(km~2·a)]人工牧草地[334.71 t/(km~2·a)]水浇地[113.69 t/(km~2·a)]的趋势。[结论]土壤侵蚀强度总体以微度和轻度为主,强烈侵蚀、极强烈侵蚀、剧烈侵蚀主要分布在流域的中下游和下游;天山北坡西白杨沟流域侵蚀强度的空间分布与地形、土地利用、土壤性质联系紧密。     

Assessment of Radionuclides, Trace Metals and Radionuclide Transfer from Soil to Food of Jhangar Valley (Pakistan) Using Gamma-Ray Spectrometry

The gamma spectrometric analysis of soil and essential foodstuffs, e.g., wheat, millet, potato, lentils and cauliflower, which form the main component of the daily diet of the local public, was carried out using high purity germanium (HpGe) detector coupled with a computer based high-resolution multi-channel analyzer. The activity concentration in soil samples for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K ranged from 30.0 Bq kg^?1 to 81.2 Bq kg^?1, 31.4 Bq kg^?1 to 78.25 Bq kg^?1 and 308.8 Bq kg^?1 to 2177.6 Bq kg^?1, with mean values of 56.2, 58.5 and 851.9 Bq kg^?1, respectively. The average activity measured for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in soil samples was found higher than the world average. The major radionuclide found in the food items studied was ⁴⁰K, while ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ¹³⁷Cs were detected in very nominal amounts. The results clearly indicate that these radionuclides have no health hazard to human beings, as they are well below the annual limit of intake (ALI) for these radionuclides. The transfer factors of these radionuclides from soil to food were also studied. The mean transfer factors of ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ¹³⁷Cs from soil to food were estimated to be about 0.17, 0.07, 0.16 and 0.23, respectively. An artificial radionuclide, ¹³⁷Cs, was also present in detectable amount in all samples. The internal and external hazard indices were measured and had mean values of 0.70 and 0.55, respectively. Absorbed dose rates and effective dose have been determined in the present study. Concentration of trace metals, such as Cr, Pb, Ni and Zn, was also determined in the soil samples. The concentrations of radionuclides and trace metals found in these samples during the present study were nominal and do not pose any potential health hazard to the general public.     

Sources and behavior of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Ottawa river waters

Multiphase radionuclide measurements on Ottawa River waters are reported for the period October 1984 to March 1986. Numerous radionuclides are present in detectable amounts in raw, drinking and centrifuged waters as well as in suspended sediment and water filtration plant floc samples. The sediment/water partitioning behavior of these radionuclides is also reported. The prevailing low particle flux allows rapid migration of radionuclides through the system. Most of the ⁹⁰Sr in the river derives from its fallout inventory in the watershed rather than from the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories (CRNL). On the other hand, fallout and CRNL-derived ¹³⁷Cs appear to contribute equally to the prevailing levels of this radionuclide in the river. The data also suggest that the prevailing levels of the naturally-occurring ²²⁶Ra impart more dose than ⁹⁰Sr insofar as the radiological quality of the drinking water is concerned. Many of the radionuclides are removed by the floc during filtration of the receiving waters. Though their removal efficiencies cannot be precisely defined from the currently available measurements, the results show that processes other than simple association with suspended sediments may also play significant role in the retention of some radionuclides by the floc.     

Natural radioactivity of clay and sandy soils and radiation exposure doses in the Heet and Inshass regions of Egypt

The natural radioactivity of clay and sandy soils in two regions of Egypt was studied. The absorbed and effective radiation doses of population in these regions caused by the presence of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K in the soils were determined.     

Geo-Referenceable Model for the Transfer of Radioactive Fallout from Sediments to Plants

In order to quickly assess the transfer of radioactive cesium after a nuclear incident, it is useful to know the main biospheric parameters influencing this transfer. A suitably simplified heuristic formula for the Cs transfer is helpful for further application in a Geographic Information System (GIS). In order to determine the most relevant parameters given their huge variability in nature, samples of 150 aquatic plants and the corresponding sediments of 26 diverse aquatic locations such as lakes, ponds, and disconnected parts of rivers were measured for ¹³⁷Cs, ¹³⁴Cs, and ⁴⁰K radioactivity one?year after the nuclear disaster of Chernobyl. Sediments were characterized by determination of weight loss after heating, extractable Cs and K, pH(KCl), particle size distribution, content of clay minerals, and similar biospheric, chemical, and physical parameters. As a general concept, the procedure of uptake of radioactive cesium was subdivided into the two following steps: ??resorption of cesium fallout by soil?? and ??uptake of soil cesium by plants??. Results for the resorption by soil show strong dependence on the percentage of dry matter and on the content of muscovite (mica) in the sediment. The uptake in plants, however, depends mostly on the content of ¹³⁷Cs in the sediment itself, on the content of montmorillonite (weathered mica) and on the transfer factor of ⁴⁰K which indicates the potassium affinity of the 30 different collected plant species. These findings can serve to quickly and practically assess the transfer factor across larger geographic regions in an evidence-based manner. Suitable IT tools for such space-related estimations are Geographic Information Systems or Virtual Globes such as Google Earth.     

Determination of Natural and Artificial Radionuclide Levels in Soils of Western and Southern Coastal Area of Turkey

Soil samples were collected from western and southern region of Turkey in 1995 from 17 sampling stations of different depths. Natural and artificial radionuclide activity levels of soil samples of the western and southern sea in Turkey were previously reported about nine years after the Chernobyl accident. The aim of the study was to collect data for following up of the earlier study and to present result for distributions of radionuclides in soil samples of the western and southern regions of Turkey. ²²⁶Ra is in the range 19–276 Bq kg^?1, 7–173 Bq kg^?1 for ²³⁸U, 8–244 Bq kg^?1 for ²³²Th, 86–1162 Bq kg^?1 (dry wt.) for ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs activity result varies between 1.8–82 Bq kg^?1 (dry wt.).     

Estimation of the Influence of Humic Acid on Radionuclide Binding to Solid Residuals in Deposits of Radioactive Waste

In contaminated water reservoirs, the sorption and binding of radionuclides to solids (SR) determines their bioavailability and transport and thus human and ecosystem exposure. In this work, the influence of organic matter (OM) on binding of the radionuclides ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, sum of ²³⁵U, ²³⁸U, and sum of ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu to solids are investigated, using experimental data derived from ecological monitoring of radioactive waste deposits in South Ural (Russia). OM in several surface water reservoirs mainly consists of humic substance (HS) which forms humates and fulvates with radionuclides and binds to solids via different mechanisms, such as coordinating bond or covalent bond. These processes are strongly dependent on the phase of HS, which can be colloidal or soluble high-molecular compounds. Based on the spatial distribution of radionuclides, SR and OM in waste deposits, we assumed a specific influence of humic acids (HA) on the binding of radionuclides to SR, and quantified it with invariant values of a modified partitioning coefficient. The mathematical form of this invariant value emphasizes a significant impact of the local mass of HA (mHA/V) and local surface area of SR (s?=?Ssorb/V) per volume V on the processes involved in binding radionuclides to SR. These processes may retard radionuclide migration into groundwater.     

Correlations between soil parameters and radionuclide contents in samples from Biscay (Spain)

The distribution of gamma emitting radioactive constituents in Biscay soils have been measured in 15 cm cores, at three depth levels, in fourteen sampling positions. Analyses were performed in Marinelli beakers with a gamma multichannel analyser provided with a Ge-HP detector. Additionally, each soil was characterized by a number of parameters (position, bulk density, pH, size distribution, total contents of carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen, thermogravimetric data and major cations soluble in ammonium acetate at pH 7). Seven natural radioisotopes (⁴⁰K, ²²⁸Ac, ²¹²Bi, ²⁰⁸TI, ²²⁶Ra, ²¹⁴Pb and ²¹⁴Bi) and ¹³⁷Cs were detected and measured. Relations between natural radionuclides (located before and after radon isotopes in both radioactive series) and soil parameters are mainly explained by two statistical multivariate methods (factor analysis and numerical taxonomy). The more complex dependence of radiocaesium contents on soil characteristics was elucidated by linear multiple regression.     

Plant Accumulation of Natural Radionuclides as Affected by Substrate Contaminated with Uranium-Mill Tailings

Environmental concern due to plant accumulation of natural radionuclides is a major concern in uranium mining areas. To evaluate the risk associated with the transfer of radionuclides to edible plants, the uptake of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, and ²¹⁰Pb by Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt) grown in soils contaminated with uranium-mill tailings (UMT) was investigated. Test plants were grown under controlled conditions in substrate composed of soil and UMT in different ratios. Activity concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, and ²¹⁰Pb in substrate, leaves, and roots were measured and the concentration ratios determined. Soil characteristics were determined, since they directly affect bioavailability of radionuclides. Concentration ratios of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, and ²¹⁰Pb in leaves varied from 0.001 to 0.006, 0.024 to 0.172, and 0.004 to 0.011, respectively, and in roots from 0.020 to 0.126, 0.015 to 0.241, and 0.033 to 1.460, respectively. Concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, and ²¹⁰Pb in leaves and roots were found to correlate with the amount of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, and ²¹⁰Pb in the substrate. A higher amount of ²²⁶Ra accumulated in aboveground parts (57–877 Bq kg^?1 d. m. for leaves) compared to ²³⁸U (0.6–4.7 Bq kg^?1 d. m. for leaves) and ²¹⁰Pb (8–53 Bq kg^?1 d. m. for leaves), which were mainly stored in the roots. The relationships between the amount of radionuclides in plants and soil characteristics and their role in radionuclide uptake are discussed and critically evaluated.     

Determination of Water Fluoride Concentration and the Influence of the Geographic Coordinate System and Time

The upper limit of fluoride concentration in water for human consumption is 1.5?ppm. Many studies have been carried out concerning the water fluoride concentration in wide areas around the world, but none have studied the change of fluoride concentration as a function of geographical coordinates and through time. This paper describes ??microvariation?? of fluoride concentration among wells separated by less than 500?m in a month. On the other hand, ??macrovariation?? is also studied describing changes among cities that are separated by more than 10?km and compared with fluoride concentrations measured 65?years ago. Fluoride concentration was measured in a wide geographical area of Argentina, which is 133,000?km². Samples of water were collected from different regions. Macrovariation: Differences in fluoride concentration in well water among regions were found, as well as an increase in water fluoride concentration during seven decades. Microvariation: Daily water fluoride concentration in a specific area displayed a great variation in the measurements through time. In addition, wells with no more than 500?m of separation were measured at the same time and were significantly different. These results indicate that in order to determine the fluoride concentration of a region, different samples of the same area should be obtained and a sampling through time should also be done.     

Radioactive contamination of permafrost-affected soils with 137Cs and 90Sr, the products of an accidental underground nuclear explosion

The specificity of contamination of permafrost-affected soils with radionuclides derived from an accidental underground nuclear explosion at the Kraton-3 polygon located in the northern taiga subzone has been studied in northwestern Yakutia. It is shown that the high density of the radioactive contamination is preserved in the soils 23 years after the nuclear accident. The concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr vary from 34 to 1025 and from 57 to 781 kBq/m², respectively, which is 30–1000 times higher than the global fallout of these radionuclides.     

Adaptation of Working Conditions of an Operating Drinking Water Treatment Plant to Remove Naturally Occurring Radionuclides

Naturally occurring radionuclides such as uranium and radium are present in water used for human consumption. There are several procedures to remove the uranium and/or radium content in drinking water, although they have mainly been used just in laboratory tests, and in only a few cases in pilot plants. In the present work, an operating drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) with gross alpha activity above the 0.1?Bq?L^?1 threshold was selected, with the water??s uranium content being principally responsible for this activity. The routine procedure used in the DWTP was incapable of removing this activity from the drinking water. A modification of the procedure in the coagulation?Cflocculation step successfully removed 50?C83?% of the uranium from the drinking water finally consumed by the population, with the resulting gross alpha activity being reduced to below 0.1?Bq?L^?1. The modified procedure was reversible??whenever the procedure was halted, no uranium was removed. The uranium removed ended up concentrated in the sludge generated by the plant. A sequential extraction procedure applied to the sludge showed most of it to be attached to the easily and moderately reducible fractions and hence extractable with hydroxylamine and ammonium oxalate, respectively. This was because in the coagulation?Cflocculation process, the uranium was essentially removed by association with aluminium oxides.