Radionuclide Concentration Ratios Research Articles

Measurement and calculation of radionuclide concentration ratios from soil to grass in semi-natural terrestrial habitats in Greece

The results of the measurements of radionuclide transfer from soil to vegetation (Poaceae spp.) that conducted during 2010–2014, in free-ranged grazing regions in Greece, are presented in this work. The specific activities of 137Cs, 226Ra, 228Ra and 228Th radionuclides were measured and the activity concentrations were calculated in samples of soil and grass obtained from several studied regions in Greece. The respective soil-to-plant radionuclide transfer parameters (as Concentration Ratio) were calculated and the results were analyzed in terms of spatial deviation caused by the different climate type among the studied regions, provided that the same plant and soil types are studied. The Concentration Ratios ranged from 0.02 to 2.5 for 137Cs, 0.01 to 0.7 for 226Ra, from 0.07 to 1.1 for 228Ra, and, from 0.08 to 0.17 for 228Th. Although, the concentration ratios of the primordial radionuclides show some consistency among the different regions, significant differences are observed for 137Cs, which may be particularly attributed to the different climatic types (according to the Koppen-Geiger climate classification) that govern these regions.

Whole organism concentration ratios of radionuclides and metals in terrestrial vertebrates of an Australian tropical savanna environment

Preliminary values of whole organism concentration ratio (CRwo-soil) were derived for terrestrial vertebrates of an Australian tropical savanna environment. Wildlife groups included bird, bat, ground-dwelling mammal and reptile. Sample data for some of the wildlife groups (bird and bat in particular) were limited. The bird and bat CRwo-soil values were generally lower than the ground-dwelling mammal and reptile CRwo-soil values based on the available data. Arithmetic mean CRwo-soil values for two species of native marsupial and two species of non-native placental were not significantly different (p < 0.05) when tested using a one-way analysis of variance. The results hinted at possible sampling efficiencies for terrestrial vertebrates. However, verification with additional data was recommended. Used cautiously, the CRwo-soil values may assist in environmental assessments of Australian uranium mining sites. They also enhance the available data on radionuclide transfer to wildlife for use internationally.

Nonhuman biota dose rate estimation from liquid effluent releases during normal operations of light water reactors using the LADTAP II computer code

The LADTAP II computer code was used to estimate the dose rates to seven nonhuman biota (fish, algae, invertebrate, muskrat, raccoon, heron, and duck) from liquid effluent releases during the normal operations of new light water reactor facilities in the United States. The estimated dose rates to nonhuman biota depended on the nuclear power plant design but were orders of magnitude less than the ‘derived consideration reference levels’ (DCRL) in International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 108. The estimated dose rates were at least three orders of magnitude lower than the guideline values identified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements to cause observable changes in populations of biota. Radionuclides that contributed most of the dose rates for seven nonhuman biota depended on the nuclear power plant design. The differences in the estimated dose rates to seven nonhuman biota calculated from the default bioaccumulation factors used in the LADTAP II computer code and the dose rates calculated from the concentration ratios of radionuclides in the IAEA Technical Report Series (TRS) wildlife handbook were less than one order of magnitude for most default biota in LADTAP. The concentration ratios for some radionuclides in liquid effluent releases from nuclear power plant designs that contributed more than 5% of the internal dose rates for invertebrates (P, and Ru) and algae (La and Pr) were not available in the IAEA TRS wildlife handbook.

An analysis of naturally occurring radionuclides and 137Cs in the soils of urban areas using gamma-ray spectrometry

This study of environmental radioactivity was carried out in the soils of an urban area. Naturally occurring gamma-emitting radionuclides and man-made 137Cs were found in the soil profiles collected from four parks in the central Belgrade city area and the soil layer was examined every 10 cm and to a depth of 50 cm. Radioisotope activity concentrations (Bq kg−1) in the samples of urban soil using the gamma-ray spectrometry method were in the range of 14–46 for 238U, 33–50 for 226Ra, 29–63 for 210Pb, 1.2–3.4 for 235U, 28–50 for 232Th, 424–576 for 40K and 0.7–35.8 for 137Cs. Some of the basic physicochemical soil properties (pH, organic matter content, calcium-carbonate content, particle size distribution) were determined to investigate the impact on the vertical distribution of radionuclides. The results of this investigation showed that variations of activity concentration ratios of radionuclides that belong to the same (238U/226Ra) or different radioactive series (232Th/226Ra; 235U/238U), including 210Pb/137Cs ratios could well be explained by the properties of the soil. Alkaline pH reaction, the accumulation of organic matter in the uppermost and of carbonates in the deepest layers of urban soil had an effect on 238U/226Ra, and 210Pb/137Cs activity concentration ratio values, while 232Th/226Ra and partially 235U/238U ratios were associated with the particle sizes vertical distribution. A study of radionuclides in the samples of leaves of two deciduous tree species common for these parks was also conducted and 210Pb and 40K were found concentrated in leaves rather than other investigated radionuclides.

Natural radionuclides and stable elements in weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) from tropical northern Australia

Natural radionuclides and stable elements were measured in weaver ants, leaves and soils collected from three sites in tropical northern Australia. Radionuclide concentration ratios for ants relative to soil were derived from the measurements and used to refine the current environmental radiological assessment for remediation of Ranger uranium mine. Use of site-specific concentration ratios for weaver ants gave a more conservative estimate of environmental exposure to the arthropod wildlife group than use of default concentration ratios in the ERICA Tool. This was primarily because the 226Ra concentration ratio for weaver ants was more than 7 times greater than for generic arthropods.

Estimating doses from Aboriginal bush foods post-remediation of a uranium mine

This paper presents a calculator to facilitate assessments of ingestion doses from Aboriginal bush foods. The calculator combines information on traditional diet and land use with radionuclide concentration ratios and ingestion dose coefficients to estimate doses. The calculator was applied to the planned remediation of Ranger uranium mine to derive a set of scaling factors between radionuclide activity concentrations in environmental media and ingestion dose from bush foods. The scaling factors can be used to estimate doses from bush foods once the post-remediation radiological conditions of the mine and surrounding environment are known.

Uptake of uranium, thorium and radium isotopes by plants growing in dam impoundment Tasotkel and the Lower Shu region (Kazakhstan)

Abstract The activity concentrations of isotopes of uranium, thorium and radium-226 in dominant species of plants (Xantium strumarium, Phragmites communis, Artemisia nitrosa and Artemisia serotina) growing on the territories contaminated by uranium industry of Kazakhstan (close to dam impoundment Tasotkel and the Lower Shu region) are presented. The obtained data showed the significant variations of activity concentrations of isotopes of uranium, thorium and radium-226 in above ground parts. The concentrations of most of the investigated radionuclides in the root system are higher than in the aboveground parts; it can be explained by root barrier. It was found that the highest root barrier has Xantium strumarium, especially for uranium isotopes. The concentration ratios of radionuclides were calculated, and as the result it was found that the highest accumulation ability in the investigated region has Artemisia serotina.

An international database of radionuclide concentration ratios for wildlife: development and uses

A key element of most systems for assessing the impact of radionuclides on the environment is a means to estimate the transfer of radionuclides to organisms. To facilitate this, an international wildlife transfer database has been developed to provide an online, searchable compilation of transfer parameters in the form of equilibrium-based whole-organism to media concentration ratios. This paper describes the derivation of the wildlife transfer database, the key data sources it contains and highlights the applications for the data.

RADIATION DOSE ASSESSMENT FOR THE BIOTA OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE SHORELINE ZONE OF THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT COOLING POND

Radiation exposure of the biota in the shoreline area of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Cooling Pond was assessed to evaluate radiological consequences from the decommissioning of the Cooling Pond. This paper addresses studies of radioactive contamination of the terrestrial faunal complex and radionuclide concentration ratios in bodies of small birds, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles living in the area. The data were used to calculate doses to biota using the ERICA Tool software. Doses from 90Sr and 137Cs were calculated using the default parameters of the ERICA Tool and were shown to be consistent with biota doses calculated from the field data. However, the ERICA dose calculations for plutonium isotopes were much higher (2-5 times for small mammals and 10-14 times for birds) than the doses calculated using the experimental data. Currently, the total doses for the terrestrial biota do not exceed maximum recommended levels. However, if the Cooling Pond is allowed to draw down naturally and the contaminants of the bottom sediments are exposed and enter the biological cycle, the calculated doses to biota may exceed the maximum recommended values. The study is important in establishing the current exposure conditions such that a baseline exists from which changes can be documented following the lowering of the reservoir water. Additionally, the study provided useful radioecological data on biota concentration ratios for some species that are poorly represented in the literature.

Radionuclide concentration ratios in Australian terrestrial wildlife and livestock: data compilation and analysis

Radionuclide concentrations in Australian terrestrial fauna, including indigenous kangaroos and lizards, as well as introduced sheep and water buffalo, are of interest when considering doses to human receptors and doses to the biota itself. Here, concentration ratio (CR) values for a variety of endemic and introduced Australian animals with a focus on wildlife and livestock inhabiting open rangeland are derived and reported. The CR values are based on U- and Th-series concentration data obtained from previous studies at mining sites and (241)Am and (239/240)Pu data from a former weapons testing site. Soil-to-muscle CR values of key natural-series radionuclides for grazing Australian kangaroo and sheep are one to two orders of magnitude higher than those of grazing cattle in North and South America, and for (210)Po, (230)Th, and (238)U are one to two orders of magnitude higher than the ERICA tool reference values. When comparing paired kangaroo and sheep CR values, results are linearly correlated (r = 0.81) for all tissue types. However, kidney and liver CR values for kangaroo are typically higher than those of sheep, particularly for (210)Pb, and (210)Po, with values in kangaroo liver more than an order of magnitude higher than those in sheep liver. Concentration ratios for organs are typically higher than those for muscle including those for (241)Am and (239/240)Pu in cooked kangaroo and rabbit samples. This study provides CR values for Australian terrestrial wildlife and livestock and suggests higher accumulation rates for select radionuclides in semi-arid Australian conditions compared with those associated with temperate conditions.

Can elemental composition data of crop leaves be used to estimate radionuclide transfer to tree leaves?

Estimation of radionuclide concentrations in trees may be required to estimate their radiation exposure. However, concentration ratios of radionuclides from soil to tree species are limited for many radionuclide-tree combinations. To fill this gap, it is investigated in the present paper whether stable element concentration data for leafy vegetables are representative of those for wild tree leaves, and consequently, if these stable element data for leafy vegetables can be used as analogues to describe radionuclides transfer from soil to trees. Data for stable elements in leafy vegetables collected in Japan were compared with those in leaves of about 20 tree species worldwide. The correlation coefficients of element concentrations between leafy vegetables and tree leaves were higher than 0.90 with p < 0.001 by Student's t test, and geometric means of concentration data for most elements were within the range of data for leafy vegetables. Thus, transfer parameters derived from stable element data for leafy vegetables could generally be used to estimate concentrations in tree leaves if data for the latter are not available. However, some trees accumulate a few elements (e.g., Al, Co, Mn and Si) in their leaves to higher concentrations than observed for leafy vegetables.

Quantification of transfer of 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in mosses of a semi-natural ecosystem

There is a lack of appropriate data on transfer of some radionuclides on many terrestrial biota groups. To expand the available data concentration ratios of 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in mosses are presented in this paper. The relationship between concentration ratios of radionuclides and physicochemical characteristics of the underlying soil was also investigated. The data on concentration ratios obtained here will provide a useful addition to the currently used database of transfer parameters, particularly for natural radionuclides.

The uptake of radionuclides by beans, squash, and corn growing in contaminated alluvial soils at Los Alamos national laboratory

Pinto beans (Phaselous vulgaris), sweet corn (Zea mays), and zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo) were grown in a field pot study using alluvial floodplain soils contaminated with various radionuclides within Los Alamos Canyon (LAC) at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico. Soils as well as washed edible (fruit) and nonedible (stems and leaves) crop tissues were analyzed for tritium (3H), cesium (137Cs), strontium (90Sr), plutonium (238Pu and 239,240Pu), americium (241Am), and total uranium (totU). Most radionuclides, with the exception of 3H and totU, in soil and crop tissues from LAC were detected in significantly higher concentrations (p <0.05) than in soil or crop tissues collected from regional background locations. Significant differences in radionuclide concentrations among crop species (squash were generally higher than beans or corn) and plant parts (nonedible tissue were generally higher than edible tissue) were observed. Most soil‐to‐plant concentration ratios for radionuclides in edible and nonedible crop tissues grown in soils from LAC were within default values in the literature commonly used in dose and risk assessment models. Overall, the maximum net positive committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE)—the CEDE plus two sigma for each radioisotope minus background and then all positive doses summed—to a hypothetical 50‐year resident that ingested 352 lb ([160 kg]; the maxiumum ingestion rate per person per year) of beans, corn, and squash in equal proportions was 74 mrem y‐1 (740 μS y‐1). This upper bound dose was below the International Commission on Radiological Protection permissible dose limit of 100 mrem y‐1 (1000 (μS y‐1) from all pathways and corresponds to a risk of an excess cancer fatality of 3.7 x 10s (37 in a million), which is also below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guideline of 10‐4.

Radionuclides (lead-210, polonium-210, thorium-230, and -232) and thorium and uranium in water, sediments, and fish from lakes near the city of Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada

Radionuclides ( 210Pb, 210Po, 230Th, and 232Th) and chemical Th and U were measured in water, sediments, and fish tissues (bone, muscle, and gut contents of laketrout, Salvelinus namaycush, whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis and Prosopium cylindraceum) from four lakes in a watershed affected by U mining and milling operations at Elliot Lake, Ontario, and from control lakes in an adjacent, non-industrialized, watershed. Radionuclide concentration ratios between tissue levels and sediment and water levels were calculated. Annual radionuclide intakes and resulting doses were estimated for humans consuming fish from the watershed. Bone 210Pb levels were higher (186 mBq g −1 dry wt in laketrout and 230 mBq g −1 dry wt in one lake whitefish) than in muscle (< 50 mBq g −1 dry wt in all cases), and generally higher in fish from study lakes than from controls, but no consistent differences were observed among fish species. Similarly, 210Po levels were higher in bone (208 ± 33 mBq g −1, in laketrout) than muscle (maximum 26 ± 4 mBq g −1, in laketrout), and in study lake populations compared to controls. Laketrout 210Po bone concentrations were higher than previously reported in Canada. Levels of 230Th, 232Th, and Th were below detection limits (20 mBq g −1, 0.05 μg g −1) in body tissues in all fish species. Bone levels of U (14.6 ± 3.0 μg g −1, in lake whitefish) were higher than in muscle (most < 0.05 μg g −1, except 0.12 ± 0.04 and 0.08 ± 0.03 μg g −1 in lake whitefish) in fish from waters affected by industrial activity. In control lakes, bone and muscle levels were lower and not significantly different from each other. Muscle levels did not vary consistently with location. Concentration of 210Pb and U was seen from water and ‘gut’ material (taken as a surrogate for diet) to bone in laketrout and whitefish, and of U from water to muscle in whitefish, but in no case from sediments to tissues. Human intakes of 210Pb, 210Po, 230Th, 232Th, and U from consuming one meal of fish (375 g) per week could, in aggregate, represent an annual effective dose < 15% of the public dose limit (5 mSv). Monitoring biota living near the decommissioned Elliot Lake U operations, especially of 210Pb levels in fish muscle, with further assessment of human doses attributable to local fish and other animals in the diet, should continue. Because radionuclide effects on fish health (and on other non-human organisms) are of increasing concern, neoplasms, malformations, and reproductive anomalies in local fish deserve examination.

Radium and its Daughters in Bryopsis Plumosa

Natural, as well as artificial gamma emitters have been monitored systematically since 1984 in marine environmental samples from the Romanian sector of the Black Sea coast under a project run by the Romanian Marine Research Institute and the Institute of Environmental Research and Engineering. The Bryopsis plumosa green alga was identified as having the highest concentrations of radionuclides belonging to the natural radioactive series of uranium-radium and thorium, two orders of magnitude higher as compared with the other species common in the area under study. Evaluation of measurement derived and computed values of certain radionuclide concentration ratios leads to the conclusion that the alga assimilates only radium from its environment.

Incorporation of natural radionuclides and rare earth elements into a salt tolerant plant

A highly salt tolerant shrub, samphire (Halosarcia halocnemoides), found growing in the soild alkaline residues in an evaporation pond at a former uranium and monoazite treatment plant, has been analysed for natural radionuclides and rate earths. The data obtained have been copared with that for plants from the local natural environment. Vegetation-to-soil concentration ratios have been determined. The radionuclide concentration ratios for samples from the contaminated site are similar to those from the natural environment. Significant differences have been noted in the case of the rare earth elements with an apparent preferential incorporation of the light rare earth elements into the plant growing in the chemical residues.

Distribution of Long‐Lived Radionuclides in an Abandoned Reactor Cooling Reservoir

The distribution of 137Cs, 90Sr, 238Pu, 239, 240Pu, 241Am and 244Cm was studied in the biotic and abiotic components of an abandoned reactor cooling impoundment, Pond B. The impoundment is located at the United States Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant in South Carolina, USA. It received radioactive contaminants via cooling water discharges from R Reactor from September 1961 to June 1964. The radionuclide inventories were estimated in water, seston, sediments, and biotic components after 20 yr of equilibration. Chemical, physical, and biological relationships to the radionuclide distribution patterns were investigated. Biotic components contained some of the highest radionuclide concentration ratios observed to date. However, most of the radioactivity resides in sediments. The principal mechanisms of loss from the system are radioactive decay and periodic outflow of water and suspended materials; biotic export and seepage appear to be inconsequential. Strontium—90 was much more mobile in the system than the other radionuclides. Aquatic macrophytes dominated the biotic component radionuclide inventories and their dynamics exert a strong influence on the spatial distribution and turnover of radioactivity in the ecosystem. Pond B supports a diverse and productive flora and fauna. Cleanup of the system is not indicated. Use of Pond B for recreation is feasible with adequate attention to monitoring and radiological health guidelines.

Radionuclide uptake by trees at a radwaste pond in Washington State.

This paper presents work conducted in the summer of 1980 by Rockwell Hanford Operations, Hanford, WA, in support of a proposed effort to decommission and decontaminate a Hanford radwaste pond (216-U-10 Pond). The radionuclide values presented here are in addition to the U-Pond work that was recently published (La83) and are below any levels of environmental concern and within state and federal guidelines. U-Pond was constructed in 1944 for the surface disposal of industrial waste waters from nuclear separation processes and is one of the longest used aquatic, low-level, radioactive waste-disposal sites in the world. Tree leaf/twig, root, core and soil samples were collected and analyzed for 137Cs, 90Sr and 239Pu/240Pu. Strontium-90 was more readily taken up by trees than 137Cs or 239Pu/240Pu. Soil concentration values for 137Cs and 239Pu/240Pu were significantly greater (p less than or equal to 0.05) than all tree component parts. Radionuclide concentration ratios were higher for 90Sr (0.01-1355.0) than for 137Cs and 239Pu/240Pu for all tree components examined. Concentration ratios for 239Pu/240Pu ranged from 10(-6) to 10(-2) and are comparable to other studies conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Savannah River laboratories. These data represent the first quantitative information with respect to radionuclide uptake by trees on the Hanford Site.

The use of reprocessing effluent radionuclides in the geochronology of recent sediments

Over the last three decades, artificial radionuclides have been introduced into the environment from the nuclear industry. This paper discusses the use of such radionuclides for interpreting the geochronology of recent sedimentary deposits. The discharges into the northeast Irish Sea from the Windscale reprocessing plant (U.K.) provide a useful opportunity to study the transport and geochronology of sediments in this area. A variety of different methods have been developed to study the behaviour of the local sediments, and a number of examples are discussed, illustrating the techniques used for “dating” the sediment deposits. These involve the use of fission-product radionuclides ( 134Cs, 137Cs, 106Ru and 144Ce), transuranics ( 239+240Pu and 238Pu), and the application of radionuclide concentration ratios in cores and surface samples. The radionuclide activity profiles of the sediment cores and the concentration ratios of the surface samples were interpreted by comparison with the known discharge histories. This provided information on net sedimentation rates, apparent diffusion coefficients and lag-times of transport. The studies showed that post-depositional redistribution of Cs and especially Pu nuclides within a sediment column are small (apparent D < 10 −8 cm 2 s −1). Net sedimentation rates varied in the range 16–71 mm yr. −1 and lag-times 0–0.75 yr. From samples taken along a mud bank salt marsh transect correlations were shown between activities and sedimentary environment.