Natural radioactivity due to RaDEF and beryllium-7 in the environment

Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6138863

Banavali, A D

Sharp increases in the /sup 210/Po//sup 210/Pb activity ratios were observed during the year 1981, one year after Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. However, individual /sup 210/Pb and /sup 210/Po concentrations and fallout profiles did not alter markedly before or after this volcanic event. Bimonthly average /sup 210/Po//sup 210/Pb activity ratio of 0.77 was observed for the months of January-February, 1981. Results obtained from our data for 134 samples of rain and snow analyzed for /sup 210/Pb and /sup 210/Po between November 1, 1979, and December 31, 1981, show that the high /sup 210/Pb activity ratios were accompanied by high /sup 7/Be//sup 210/Pb and /sup 90/Sr//sup 210/Pb ratios for the same period indicating a stratospheric fallout. Infinity values obtained for aerosol residence times may have been the result of ash and fine debris enrichment of the stratosphere, and not due to any /sup 210/Po excess. /sup 210/Pb and /sup 210/Po flux from the Fayetteville soil samples being negligible, soil entrainment of the sampling site seems to be minimal. The concentrations of /sup 7/Be and /sup 210/Pb (RaD) were measured in sequentially sampled rainstorm of March 15, 1982, that occurred over Fayetteville (36/sup 0/N, 94/sup 0/W), Arkansas. /sup 7/Be//sup 210/Pb ratios ranged from 1.8 to 16.7 (Ci/Ci) and covered the entire range of values observed for individual samples of rain and snow (Ali Saleh, 1983). Two air-masses may have dominated the Northwest Arkansas region temporarily during this period.

• Research Organization: Arkansas Univ., Fayetteville (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6138863
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500300* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510300 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ARKANSAS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BERYLLIUM 7
BERYLLIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CASCADE MOUNTAINS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FALLOUT
FEDERAL REGION VI
FEDERAL REGION X
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MONITORING
MOUNTAINS
MT ST HELENS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
POLONIUM 210
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOISOTOPES
RAIN
SAMPLING
SNOW
SOILS
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
USA
VARIATIONS
WASHINGTON
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES