Radioactive concentrations of the Livingston Island soils (Antartica). Dosimetry considerations

doi:10.1016/0969-8043(94)90246-1

Applied Radiation and Isotopes

Volume 45, Issue 6, June 1994, Pages 675-681

https://doi.org/10.1016/0969-8043(94)90246-1 Get rights and content

Abstract

The radioactive concentrations of natural and man-made (⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs) emitters were studied in soil samples collected from an area of 2.3 km² around the Spanish Antarstic Base on Livingston Island in the South Shetlands.

The levels of radiation detected, for natural radioisotopes, as well as consequently the measured levels of effective dose equivalent rate, are of the order of half the values commonly assigned as world averages for these magnitudes.

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Cited by (13)

Assessment of internal radiation exposure to Antarctic biota due to selected natural radionuclides in terrestrial and marine environment
2021, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Citation Excerpt :
Earlier studies of the Antarctic mosses and lichens (Mietelski et al., 2000; Godoy et al., 1998) confirm a large range of 40K results - from several to several hundred Bq/kg. Also, Baeza et al. (1994) examined Antarctic soil samples, presenting 40K results at similar levels as in the present paper. 40K concentrations in the Arctic soils are also comparable.
The present article introduces data on natural radioactivity (⁴⁰K, ^230,232Th, ^234,238U) in the Antarctic marine and terrestrial environment. Various biota samples were analysed due to internal exposure to ⁴⁰K, ^230,232Th, ^234,238U. Activity concentration of ⁴⁰K was the highest in both marine and terrestrial samples. Mean values of ⁴⁰K activity concentration are 1340 Bq/kg and 370 Bq/kg for the marine and terrestrial samples respectively. ²³⁴U/²³⁸U ratios analysis revealed that sea waters and sea spray are the main source of the uranium in the terrestrial samples. Average ^230,232Th, ^234,238U activity concentrations in the Antarctic biota do not exceed 6 Bq/kg. Weighted internal dose rates are relatively low; they range from approximately 0.1 to 0.6 μGy/h. Statistically significant differences in radionuclide accumulation were discovered between the mosses and lichens. It may point to various mechanisms of the nutrient absorption from the environment by these organisms.
Anthropogenic radionuclides in Antarctic biota – dosimetrical considerations
2020, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Citation Excerpt :
Especially, there are no articles about internal doses for the Antarctic biota, thus information about other parts of the world has to be used. Baeza et al. (1994) published study on the effective dose equivalent rate (presented in nSv/h) on Livingstone Island (South Shetland Islands) researched using proportional counter, but such data cannot be adopted for the comparison in the present article, in particular from the methodological point of view. Similarly low dose rates from the internal and external exposure were calculated for the marine organisms off the coast of the Korean Peninsula after the Fukushima accident (Keum et al., 2013).
The article presents results of the research on artificial radionuclides (¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr, ²⁴¹Am) in the Antarctic environment. Samples of 12 species from the marine environment: Pygoscelis adeliae, Pygoscelis papua, Macronectes giganteus, Pagodroma nivea, Catharacta antarctica, Leptonychotes weddellii, Mirounga leonina, Harpagifer antarcticus, Chaenocephalus aceratus, Nacella concinna, Himantothallus grandifolius, Iridaea cordata (bones, feathers, soft tissues, eggs' shells of birds, bones, skin, fur of mammals, fish, mollusks’ soft tissues and shells, algae) and samples of 4 species from the terrestrial environment: Sanionia uncinata, Usnea antarctica, Usnea aurantiaco-atra, Deschampsia antarctica (mosses, lichens, grass) were investigated. Differences in the accumulation of ¹³⁷Cs between marine and terrestrial ecosystem were shown, which are mostly due to conservatism of mosses and lichens and active removal of cesium by animal body. Furthermore discrepancy between mosses and lichens in the radioceasium accumulation was statistically proven with the additional use of Neutron Activation Analysis. Moreover, the internal weighted dose rates assessment was prepared using the ERICA Tool. The dose rates were relatively low, not exceeding several dozen nGy/h. Nonetheless, one species – Pagodroma nivea, was significantly outstanding due to the highest weighted dose rate it is burdened with.
Inventory and vertical distribution of 137Cs, 239+240Pu and 238Pu in soil from Raivavae and Hiva Oa, two French Polynesian islands in the southern hemisphere
2018, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Citation Excerpt :
The activities of long-lived radionuclides deposited on the ground are related to their concentrations in the lower atmosphere but their values vary substantially from one location to another according to the annual rainfall (Bennett, 1978; Mitchell et al., 1990; Bunzl and Kracke, 1998, 1994; Schuller et al., 2002a; Le Roux et al., 2010). Due to their different mobility in soils (Bunzl et al., 2001; Lujaniene et al., 2002), the posterior inventory of 137Cs cannot be accurately derived from the inventory of 90Sr as indicated for example by the high 137Cs/90Sr ratios measured in soils from different regions (Baeza et al., 1994; Kim et al., 1998; Quang et al., 2004; Igarashi et al., 2011). Whereas inventories in the northern hemisphere are reported in many publications, few studies are related to atmospheric deposition in the southern hemisphere.
Atmospheric nuclear weapons tests carried out by the United States, the former Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France and China between 1945 and 1980 resulted in radioactive fallout over the earth's surface of long-lived radionuclides, such as ¹³⁷Cs, ^239+240Pu and ²³⁸Pu that could be detected more than 50 years after their production. In addition, the burnup in the upper atmosphere of a thermoelectric generator fueled by ²³⁸Pu, SNAP-9A, contributed to the inventory of ²³⁸Pu deposited on the ground. In order to estimate the deposition densities of ¹³⁷Cs, ^239+240Pu and ²³⁸Pu in French Polynesia, we collected undisturbed soil samples up to 30 cm deep at eight sites in two islands (Hiva Oa, 139°W - 10°S and Raivavae, 148°W - 24°S) in 2015–2016. The top 0–10 cm of the soil cores were sliced into five 2-cm layers and the bottom 10–30 cm into four 5-cm layers for gamma spectrometry and alpha spectrometry measurements. We found that more than 50% of the radioactive inventories are still contained within the first 10 cm and that the average vertical migration velocities of ¹³⁷Cs and Pu are less than 0.2 cm y⁻¹. The average accumulated depositions, deduced from the profile measurements, are 236 ± 11 Bq.m⁻² and 313 ± 39 Bq.m⁻² for ¹³⁷Cs, 12.1 ± 1.5 Bq.m⁻² and 22.1 ± 1.7 Bq.m⁻² for ^239+240Pu, and 1.23 ± 0.46 Bq.m⁻² and 1.58 ± 0.60 Bq.m⁻² for ²³⁸Pu, in Hiva Oa and Raivavae, respectively. The ²³⁸Pu/^239+240Pu ratios are 0.102 ± 0.050 at Hiva Oa and 0.072 ± 0.033 at Raivavae. Both values are higher than the ratio in nuclear weapons tests fallout estimated to be 0.016 in 2016 (Hardy et al., 1973), because of the contribution of ²³⁸Pu fallout from SNAP-9A, which is latitude dependent. The ¹³⁷Cs/^239+240Pu ratios, 19.5 ± 3.2 at Hiva Oa and 14.2 ± 2.8 at Raivavae are in the lower part of the range of values observed in other regions of the world.
Distribution of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in soil and beach sand samples of Kalpakkam (India) using hyper pure germanium (HPGe) gamma ray spectrometry
2002, Applied Radiation and Isotopes
Pre-operational survey at Kalpakkam coast, indicated elevated gamma background radiation levels in the range of 100–4000 nGy h⁻¹ over the large tracts of the coastal sands due to the presence of pockets of monazite mineral in beach sands. In view of the prevalence of monazite, a systematic gamma spectrometric study of distribution of natural radionuclides in soil and beach sand samples collected from the terrestrial and coastal environment of Kalpakkam was performed and concentrations of primordial radionuclides such as ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K and anthropogenic radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs were determined. The concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in soil samples were 5–71, 15–776 and 200–854 Bq kg⁻¹ dry, respectively. In beach sand samples, ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K contents varied in the range of 36–258, 352–3872 and 324–405 Bq kg⁻¹ dry, respectively. The total absorbed gamma dose rate in air due to the presence of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in Kalpakkam soil samples varied between 24 and 556 nGy h⁻¹ with a mean of 103 nGy h⁻¹. The contribution to the total absorbed gamma dose rate in air in the decreasing order was due to the presence of ²³²Th (76.4%), followed by ⁴⁰K (16.9%) and ²³⁸U (6.7%) in Kalpakkam soils. However, in beach areas of Kalpakkam, the presence of ²³²Th in beach sand contributed maximum (94.0%) to the total absorbed gamma dose rate in air followed by ²³⁸U (4.7%) and minimum contribution was by ⁴⁰K (1.3%). ¹³⁷Cs in Kalpakkam soils ranged from ⩽1.0 to 2.8 Bq kg⁻¹ dry, which was 1–3 order of magnitude less than the concentration of primordial radionuclides in soil.
Distribution of radionuclides in the river sediments and coastal soils of Chittagong, Bangladesh and evaluation of the radiation hazard
1999, Applied Radiation and Isotopes
The concentrations and distribution of natural and anthropogenic radioactive materials in sediments and soils from around the two major rivers and coastal area of Chittagong, Bangladesh were investigated with an aim of evaluating the environmental radioactivity and radiation hazard. In the sediment and soils in general, the concentration of ²³²Th was found to be higher than that of the ²³⁸U and the activities of ²³²Th and ²³⁸U in this area are higher than the world average. ¹³⁷Cs was observed in all the samples, ranging from 0.4 to 3.88 Bq kg⁻¹. The radium equivalent activities, emanation coefficients and radon exhalation rates were estimated for the sediment and soils; the emanation coefficients, radon exhalation rates and dose rates were found to be higher than the world average values.
Recent evolution of the overall radioactive levels in the ice of Livingston Island (Antarctica)
1996, Applied Radiation and Isotopes
A study was carried out of the physico-chemical characteristics of the different layers of ice to a depth of 8.32 m in the Hurd glacier on Livingston Island in the South Shetland archipelago (Antarctica). No dependence on depth was observed for the pH, dry residue, or the concentrations of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and K⁺ ions. The only dependence observed was a systematic increase in density from 0.5 to 0.85 g cm⁻³ due to the greater compaction of the deeper layers.
The mean annual mass balance was determined by two methods: localization of the ashes emitted by a volcano on Deception Island and by means of a ²¹⁰Pb dating method. The result in both cases was a value of 0.24 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹, which allowed us to date different layers of ice sampled. The mean annual ²¹⁰Pb fallout was determined to be 1.9 Bq m⁻² yr⁻¹. While no systematic variations in total β activity were observed with depth, they were observed for total α and residual β activities in the said ice layers.

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Applied Radiation and Isotopes

Abstract

References (22)

The program Espec for analysis of gamma spectra with a 65 kbyte memory microcomputer

Appl. Radiat. Isot.

Environmental study of fallout plutonium in soils from the Piemonte region (North-West Italy)

J. Environ. Radioact.

¹³⁷Cs fallout depth distributions in forest versus field sites: implications for external gamma dose rates

J. Environ. Radioact.

Natural and artificial radioactivity levels in Livingston Island (Antarctic Regions)

Bull. Environ. Cont. Toxicol.

Some Analytical Aspect About Determination of Sr-89 and Sr-90 in Environmental Samples

Radiation Atlas. Natural Sources of Ionising Radiation in Europe

The Geology of the South Shetland Islands: IV. The Geology of Livingston Island

British Antartic Survey. Sci. Report No. 47

Radiocaesium and plutonium in Atlantic surface waters from 73 N to 72 S

Soil Chemical Analysis

Radioactivity in the Environment. Sources, Distribution and Surveillance

Dose-rate conversion factors for external exposures to photon emitters in soil

Health Phys.

Cited by (13)

Assessment of internal radiation exposure to Antarctic biota due to selected natural radionuclides in terrestrial and marine environment

Anthropogenic radionuclides in Antarctic biota – dosimetrical considerations

Inventory and vertical distribution of <sup>137</sup>Cs, <sup>239+240</sup>Pu and <sup>238</sup>Pu in soil from Raivavae and Hiva Oa, two French Polynesian islands in the southern hemisphere

Distribution of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in soil and beach sand samples of Kalpakkam (India) using hyper pure germanium (HPGe) gamma ray spectrometry

Distribution of radionuclides in the river sediments and coastal soils of Chittagong, Bangladesh and evaluation of the radiation hazard

Recent evolution of the overall radioactive levels in the ice of Livingston Island (Antarctica)