Aerosol deposition and origin in French mountains estimated with soil inventories of 210Pb and artificial radionuclides

Abstract

Radionuclide inventories were measured in soils from different French mountainous areas: Chaîne des Puys (Massif Central), Eastern Corsica, Jura, Montagne Noire, Savoie, Vosges and Rhine Valley. 210Pb soil inventories were used to estimate long-term (>75 yr) deposition of submicron aerosols. Whereas 210Pb total deposition is explained partly by wet deposition, as demonstrated by increase of 210Pb inventory with annual rainfall; a part of 210Pb in the soils of higher altitude is caused by orographic depositions. Using measurements of radionuclides coming from nuclear aerial weapon tests ( 137Cs and Pu isotopes), we were able to estimate the origin of aerosols deposited in high-altitude sites and to confirm the importance of occult deposition and feeder–seeder mechanism. Using a simple mass balance model, we estimate that occult deposition and feeder–seeder mechanisms account to more than 50% of total deposition of 210Pb and associated submicron aerosols in French altitude sites.