Radioactivity in the environment

Natural radionuclides formed in the atmosphere by gas-to-particle conversion reactions include the relatively short-lived radionuclides with half-lives of a number of days, of cosmo-genic origin, such as Be T i2 = 53.3 d), (14.3 d), (25.3 d) and (87.4 d) and 

Precipitation samples are collected in regular fallout funnels made of Teflon and having 300 mm diameter and total collection area about 0.30 m. The funnels are exposed to the atmosphere continuously, thus collecting both dry and wet precipitation. The samples are filtered through Whatman-41 filters to remove solid insoluble materials. Large volumes of rainwater are then concentrated by reducing to 1 litre by evaporation and acidified with 1 cm nitric acid (65%) per litre of rainwater before evaporation, thus resulting in a 0.015 N solution to prevent any loss of radionuclide atoms by absorption to the surface of the vessel used. Each concentrated sample is set in a Marinelli beaker of 1 litre volume and then the radioactivity 

Grass samples, gramineae or poaceae or other species such as fescue, alfalfa, etc., are usually collected from an area of 20 x 20 = 400 m in the outside environment, appropriately fenced to prevent interference by animals and therefore undisturbed. Each sample is cut from an area of about 3 m (0.125 kg of grass per m ) and then the radioactivity is measured by gamma-spectrometry. 

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Sakanous M, Nakamura M, Imai T (1971) Rapid methods for measuring radioactivity in the environment. In Proceedings of the symposium, Neuherberg. IAEA, Vienna, Austria, p 171... 

Nuclear explosions and nuclear power production are the major sources of human radioactivity in the environment. Other sources include radionuclide use in medicine, industry, agriculture,... 

Results. The y-spectral and radiochemical analyses of the various kinds of core and water samples removed from RNM-1 provided a good picture of the distribution and concentration of the radioactivity in the environment around the Cambric nuclear test. 

Kathren RL. 1984. Radioactivity in the environment Sources, distribution and surveillance. New York Harwood Academic Publishers, 75. 

R. L. Kathren, Radioactivity in the Environment Sources, Distribution and Surveillance, Harwood, Chur, 1984... 

In many countries the radioactivity in the environment is continuously measured by means of monitoring stations, in particular at and in the neighbourhood of nuclear power stations and other nuclear facilities. Monitors are installed at elevated positions or on the ground, to measure the radioactivity in the air and on the surface of the earth, respectively. Furthermore, samples of rainwater and river water are taken at certain intervals. 

B. SANSONi and w. kracke Fresenius Z. Anal. Chem., 243 209 (1968) Rapid Methods for Measuring Radioactivity in the Environment, p. 217, IAEA, Vienna, 1971. 

H. E. Heldal, K. Sjotun, P. Roos, I. Sv ren, P. L. Liebig, L. Foyn, 2005. The brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum an archive for exposure of technetium-99 ( Tc) over time Pp. 180-183 in Proceedings from the 2nd International Conference on Radioactivity in the Environment, Nice, 2.-6. October 2005. 

Kathren, R.L., Radioactivity in the Environment—Sources, Distribution, and Surveillance. Harvard Academic Publishers, 1984. 

Baklanov, A., and Sprensen, J.H. (2002) Size dependent characteristics of airborne radioactive particles, Proceedings from the International Conference on Radioactivity in the Environment, Monaco, 1-5 September, 400 106. 

Duff MC (2001) Speciation and transformations of sorbed Pu on geologic materials Wet chemical and spectroscopic observations. Radioactivity in the Environment 1 (Plutonium in the Environment) 139-157... 

Monitoring and observation Monitoring of contamination observation of nuclear plant observation of nuclear weapons, military disaster procedures radioactivity in the environment (gamma dose rate, nuclide-specific activity measurement)... 

Natural radioactivity in the environment originates from two sources. First, primordial radionuclides which were incorporated into the Earth at the time of its formation are still present in it because of their long half-lives. Th and their decay... 

Various problems of dispersion of radioactivity in the environment, due to the irradiated fuel storage pools, exist. The pools should always be provided with a corrosion resistant metal liner, with the further possibility of collection and control of the possible leaks, should they happen. A periodical maintenance/ repair programme should also be implemented. 

Programs for monitoring radioactivity in the environs of nuclear power plants (Rev.l, ML003739496) January 1973 (R 104/1975). 

Bogen, D. C. and Welford, G. A. (1971). In "Proc. Symp. Rapid Methods for Measurement of Radioactivity in the Environment, p. 383 (Vienna IAEA). 

Methods for Measurement of Radioactivity in the Environment, p. 373 (Vienna IAEA). 

Figure 4 Activity concentration of Tc in the stipes and blades of Laminaria hyperborea collected from the Western Coast of Norway, since 1997. (Mobbs H and Saibu B (2002) Temporal changes in technelium-99 activity in algae from the Norwegian Coast. In Borretzen P, Jolle T, and Strand P (eds.) Radioactivity in the Environment, p. 610.0steras Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority.)...

Since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, we have become accustomed to the concept of the becquerel (Bq) as a means to describe radioactivity in the environment and in food (Figure 52.1). But what is a becquerel ... 

The Dead Sea Scrolls—like other ancient artifacts—contain a radioactive signature that reveals their age. This signature results from the presence of carbon-14— which is radioactive—in the environment. Carbon-14 is constantly formed in the upper atmosphere by the neutron bombardment of nitrogen. 

Volume 4 Modelling Radioactivity in the Environment (E.M. Scott, Editor)... 

Radionuclide-tracer studies in natural marine environments obviously must rely on natural radioactivity in the environment or on radionuclides introduced from the activities of man such as fallout from nuclear-weapons testing or release of major amounts of nuclear waste such as from the Hanford Operations via the Columbia River. Some studies of this type have been discussed. We will conclude this section with those that are more closely related to investigations of com-plete ecosystems or subsystems. 

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