Radionuclides, in seawater

Measurements of radionuclides in seawater have been used to study a variety of processes, including ocean mixing, cycling of materials, and carbon flux (by proxy). These measurements provide information on both process rates and mechanisms. Because of the unique and well-understood source functions of these elements, models of radionuclide behavior have often led to new understanding of the behavior of other chemically similar elements in the ocean. 

Higuchi, H., Nonaka, N., 1985. In-situ sampling method of radionuclides in seawater. Jpn. Chem. Anal. Centre Publ. 10,65-71. 

The radionuclide tracing method is widely applied in the study of marine science. Through determining the distribution of radionuclide in seawater and sediments and their unbalanced relationship with natural radionuclide, we can study the transport process of particulate matter and the erosion process of the seacoast, and obtain a sedimentation rate and an erosion rate. Some researcher studied radioisotopes in a part of the Chinese sea area. Jia et al. (2003) determined the radioisotopes Cs, °Pb, Ra, Ra, Th, and 238 j jjj Jiaozhou Bay surface sediments. The radionuclide contents in a portion of size <0.063 mm are higher than those in size >0.063 mm except 2iopb, 228pj 22 Th, in the east bay. There are imbalances for... 

Walker MI, McKay WA. 1991. Radionuclide distributions in seawater around the Sellafield pipeline. Estuarine Coastal Shelf Sci 32(4) 385-394. 

SEAWATER Major fallout radionuclides in surface seawater, typical concentrations ... 

There are three classes of radionuclides occurring in seawater ... 

The concentrations of these elements in seawater are extremely low. Radionuclides are primarily used as tracers to study water circulation, par-... 

Because many of the radionuclide measurements in seawater require sample sizes of 20-200 liters, it is not practical to distribute true seawater reference materials containing these radionuclides. Furthermore, several of the radionuclide half-lives are only a few days to weeks. A different strategy is clearly required. The most reasonable approach is to prepare a reference material in the field by diluting solutions containing the long-lived parents of the short-lived radionuclides with a volume of seawater similar to the volume used for analyses. 

Part II considers speciation in specific compartments of the environment viz. the atmosphere, biological systems, soils, sediments and natural waters, and with particular aspects of the speciation of environmentally important radionuclides. Two new chapters have been added to make the coverage even more comprehensive. These new chapters are Chapter 10, Chemical Speciation in Soib and Related Materials by Selective Chemical Extraction by the editors, and Chapter 12, Speciation in Seawater by R.H. Byrne of the University of South Florida. 

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