7Be to 210Pb concentration ratio in ground level air in Málaga (36.7°N, 4.5°W)

Abstract

Concentration of 7Be and 210Pb in air was continuously monitored, using a high-volume air sampler and a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer, at the University of Málaga 36.7°N, 4.5°W from 2000 to 2006. The variation of the data with time was studied by time series analyses and seasonal patterns were identified. The average monthly concentrations of 7Be ground level air were in the range of 2.47–14.9 mBq/m 3 and exhibited maximum specific activities in spring and summer and one minimum in winter. The maximum concentrations for 210Pb were observed in summer, with the average concentrations in the range of 0.24 to 1.44 m Bq/m 3. Frequency distributions of 7Be, 210Pb and 7Be/ 210Pb ratio can be well represented by the log-normal distributions. The 7Be/ 210Pb ratios were in the range of 4.5 to 25.7 with spring maxima and late fall/winter minima. The concentration data of 7Be and 210Pb with meteorological variables were correlated to understand the monthly variation of these radionuclides in air.