Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

This paper analyses the formation of high Sr2+ concentration in strong alkaline (pH = 9.5-12.5) groundwater using data of the 27 years of observations around the destroyed Chernobyl NPP Unit 4. It appears that the formation of strong alkaline groundwater in different monitoring wells is consistent with the distribution of 90 Sr, pH and main ions. The reason for the increase in 90 Sr concentrations is the process of its migration from the sources of contamination - leaks of highly active water localized in certain premises inside the «Shelter » object...

Clay colloids in the subsurface environment have a strong adsorption capacity for radionuclides, and the mobile colloids will carry the nuclides for migration, which would promote the movability of radionuclides in the groundwater environment and pose a threat to the ecosphere. The investigations of the adsorption/desorption behaviors of radionuclides in colloids and porous media are significant for the evaluation of the geological disposal of radioactive wastes. To illustrate the adsorption/desorption behaviors of 241 Am(Ⅲ) in Na-montmorillonite colloid and/or quartz sand systems at different pH (5, 7 and 9), ionic strengths (0, 0...

The potential establishment of a nuclear power plant (NPP) in the West Kalimantan is under consideration to address low electrification rates. This research assesses the demographic characteristics and population growth in the vicinity of the proposed NPP site in West Kalimantan. The investigation focuses on demographic aspects, population density, and anticipated growth during the operational phase of the reactor. The study area encompasses districts within a 25 km radius of the site. Employing a descriptive quantitative approach, this research integrates verified population data and utilizes spatial and temporal analysis...

Dust is an important source of atmospheric pollution, and quantitative estimation of desert dust transport is crucial for air pollution control. In this study, five typical sandy soil profiles in the Tengger Desert were collected and analyzed for 239,240 Pu concentration and 240 Pu/239 Pu atomic ratios in order to identify the source of 239,240 Pu in this area and explore the sedimentary characteristics of dust in different profiles. The results revealed that the concentrations of 239,240 Pu in the soil profiles were between 0...

As the need for global decommissioning and site remediation of aging and shut-down nuclear power plants continues to grow, it becomes increasingly crucial to efficiently treat contaminated soil while minimizing waste generation. This study explores an innovative soil decontamination approach that utilizes supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO₂) as the primary solvent, along with ethanol as a co-solvent and specific additives, including a chelate ligand (catechol ligand) and a co-ligand (NEt₄PFOSA)...

In order to investigate the impact of environmental conditions on the distribution and migration of 90 Sr in the Longji terrace environment, the activity concentrations of 90 Sr and 137 Cs were determined. The activity concentration ranges of 90 Sr and 137 Cs in surface soil were 0.15-1.04 Bq/kg and 2.16-6.94 Bq/kg, respectively. These results showed that there was a similar trend between the activity concentration of 90 Sr and 137 Cs in the surface soil along the runoff path and their activity concentration were influenced by the slope of the terraced terrain...

Filtration media used to quantify particulate and gaseous releases have been collected from Hartlepool Power Station in the United Kingdom and measured using high-sensitivity gamma-spectrometry systems. Radionuclides that are relevant to the monitoring regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) have been detected. Results are reported and compared to detections recorded on the International Monitoring System (IMS). Time series activity plots have been produced and results interpreted with respect to known plant activities...

Echinacea purpurea marc (EPM), a residual of echinacea herb after the extraction process, was used as a natural low-cost sorbent for competitive sorption of 152+154 Eu(III), 60 Co(II) and 134 Cs(I) radionuclides. The EPM was ground to prepare it for use in the sorption process. The variables influencing the sorption process were assessed, including pH, contact time, concentrations of metal ions, and temperature. EPM was characterized by different analytical instruments such as FTIR, SEM, XRD, and DTA/TGA. pH 4...

In September 2017, numerous measurement stations recorded large surface concentrations of Ru106 in Europe. This event was well recorded by various monitoring stations worldwide and offer a valuable framework to compare the modelling strategies deployed to quickly evaluate where the plume goes and with what concentrations. In general, the source and its intensity are not known and hypotheses have to be done. Models have to be fast and accurate: Lagrangian and Eulerian are often used but rarely compared. In this study, the FLEXPART Lagrangian model and the WRF-CHIMERE Eulerian models are used to simulate the emissions, transport and deposition of this source of Ru106...

Metal mining in the Extremadura region was very important in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, due to different reasons the great majority of mines ceased operations, leading to plenty of abandoned mining sites, most of them with on-site waste dumps. Although metal extraction is not radioactive per se, it is considered a NORM activity. In this study, three former mining sites, in which Pb-V-Zn-Ag, Pb-Ag, and Pb-Zn were extracted, were selected to assess the radiological impact on the population and the environment...

Consumption of local and imported bottled water in Canada has greatly increased during the past three decades. While the presence of natural radioactivity is often overlooked when dealing with the water quality of these bottled products, it could contribute substantially to the uptake of radionuclides especially when sourced from regions with higher radioactivity levels compared to where it is consumed. In this study, the activity of several naturally occurring radionuclides (i.e., 210 Po, 226,228 Ra, 230,232 Th, 234,235,238 U) were measured in bottled water available in Québec, Canada after sample pretreatment and analysis by either radiometric or mass spectrometry approaches...

The aim of this study was to assess the exposures received by firefighters engaged in extinguishing the large-scale wildfires in the most contaminated areas of the Ukrainian part of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in 2016 and 2020. The assessments are based on measurements of radionuclide airborne concentrations in the breathing zones of workers and at the aerosol sampling stations of the automated radiation monitoring system operated by SSE Ecocenter. During the wildfires, the radionuclide airborne concentrations increased by orders of magnitude compared to the background levels, reaching maximum values in the firefighting area of 1...

The article considers the issues of working out the suitable approaches for identifying zones with the presence of underground near-surface waters with increased concentrations of tritium discharged into a surface reservoir. The following methods were used as possible methods: determination of tritium content in snow cover, determination of tritium content in vegetation in the form of tritium of free water and organically bound tritium, determination of tritium content in river water and coastal vegetation...

The study presented the relationship between sudden Natural Gamma Radiation (NGR) increases related to enhanced atmospheric electric fields. We pinpoint Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs) as the primary source of abrupt and significant NGR spikes. These TGEs, which are transient, several-minute-long increases in elementary particle fluxes, originate from natural electron accelerators within thunderclouds. The more prolonged, yet less pronounced, increases in NGR, persisting for several hours, are attributed to the gamma radiation from radon progeny and enhanced positron fluxes...

Fifty-five years of radiocarbon variation studies are reviewed with an emphasis on a better understanding of the impacts of the Bohunice nuclear power plant and fossil fuel CO2 on the atmosphere and biosphere of Slovakia. The maximum Δ14 C levels in the air up to about 1200‰ were observed during the 1970s at the Žlkovce monitoring station, which after 2005 decreased to <30‰. A relative decrease in the atmospheric Δ14 C levels due to increasing levels of fossil CO2 in the atmosphere has also been significant, for example, in Bratislava down to about -330‰, but after 2005 they were only <50‰ below the Jungfraujoch European clean-air level...

Transuranium elements such as Np, Pu and Am, are considered to be the most important radioactive elements in view of their biological toxicity and environmental impact. Concentrations of 237 Np, Pu isotopes and 241 Am in two sediment cores collected from Peter the Great Bay of Japan Sea were determined using radiochemical separation combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurement. The 239,240 Pu and 241 Am concentrations in all sediment samples range from 0.01 Bq/kg to 2.02 Bq/kg and from 0...

Bird feathers have been widely used as environmental indicators, providing key information on environmental pollution. However, there is little available information on the adsorption of natural radioactivity in bird feathers and consequently, its impact on the field of movement ecology is not yet known. This study investigates the concentration and distribution of 210 Pb in wing- and tail-feathers of different bird species with contrasting migratory strategies, and discusses its potential use as a tracer of age and flight times...

In this paper, the influence of an earthquake on radon exhalation rate of uranium tailings reservoir beach under high temperature environment is studied by using a self-made integrated simulation test device for natural disasters, and a scale model test based on similarity and dimensional laws. The results show that, (1)When the peak acceleration reaches 0.6g, the radon exhalation rate increases sharply with the increase of peak acceleration, and tends to be gentle after 1.0g. (2)Under the action of high temperature, the radon exhalation rate increases rapidly with the increase of high temperature time, and gradually becomes flat after the 4th hour...

Enzymatically catalyzed reduction of metals by bacteria has potential application value to uranium-mine wastewater. However, its practical implementation has long been restricted by its intrinsic drawbacks such as low efficiency and long treatment-time. This study aims to explore the effect of electrodes on U (VI) removal efficiency by a purified indigenous bacteria isolated from a uranium mining waste pile in China. The effects of current intensity, pH, initial U (Ⅵ) concentration, initial dosage of bacteria and contact time on U (Ⅵ) removal efficiency were investigated via static experiments...

The measurement of 226 Ra and the identification of 226 Ra-bearing minerals are important for studying the behavior of radium in the environment. Various instruments for measuring 226 Ra are currently used: among the radiometric techniques that measure in bulk (no spatialization), there are gamma spectrometers and alpha spectrometers. Other instruments such as SEM-EDS can map the chemical elements thus providing information on the distribution of 226 Ra, but are limited for ultra-trace analyses on natural geomaterials...