Erbium concentration anomaly as an indicator of nuclear activity: Focus on Natural waters in the Chernobyl exclusion zone

Abstract

This study focused on measurement of lanthanides in surface water (SW) and ground water (GW) samples from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Results showed that the total lanthanide concentration in SW ranges from 500 to 1100ngL−1 and is about 10 times lower than the GW concentration. The normalized patterns of lanthanide concentrations increase from lighter elements to heavier lanthanides. Concurrently, concentration anomalies of Ce, Eu, and Er are visible. The Er anomaly is the most noticeable and exceeds the theoretical calculation by about 13 times. The Ce and Eu anomalies are likely related to the variety of oxidation states of these elements. Meanwhile, the cause of the Er anomaly is not completely clear, but is likely related to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, since increased concentrations correlate with the distribution of contamination in the zone. 137Cs activity measurements partially confirm this hypothesis. Simultaneously, there is a relationship between the positive Er anomaly and increase in 235U concentrations. However, there is no reliable information in the literature that indicates that Er was used in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant before the reactor accident.