Abstract
Seaspray and seawater have been collected from the southern Scottish coast and, for comparison, Cumbria in northwest England during 1989 and 1991. The occurrence of sea-to-land transfer of the actinides plutonium and americium in seaspray was observed on these coasts using muslin screens (a semi-quantitative technique most efficient for collecting large spray droplets) and high volume conventional air samplers. The actinides and fine particulate in the spray were present in relatively higher concentrations than measured in the adjacent seawater, i.e. the spray was enriched in particulate actinides. The net efficiency of the muslim screens in collecting airborne plutonium isotopes and {sup 241}Am generally appeared to be about 20%. A review of earlier published concentrations of {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am measured in aerosol and deposition for over a year several tens of metres inland was carried out. This suggested that airborne activities are up to a factor of 5 times higher in Cumbria than southern Scotland. However, neither the new data collected in 1989 and 1991 nor this older data suggests any enhancement of seaspray actinide enrichment in southern Scotland compared to Cumbria. This finding contrasts with earlier, more limited, comparisons that have been carried out which suggested such a
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Citation Formats
McKay, W A, Strange, L, Walker, M I, and Halliwell, C M.
A study of plutonium and americium concentrations in seaspray on the southern Scottish coast.
United Kingdom: N. p.,
1992.
Web.
McKay, W A, Strange, L, Walker, M I, & Halliwell, C M.
A study of plutonium and americium concentrations in seaspray on the southern Scottish coast.
United Kingdom.
McKay, W A, Strange, L, Walker, M I, and Halliwell, C M.
1992.
"A study of plutonium and americium concentrations in seaspray on the southern Scottish coast."
United Kingdom.
@misc{etde_10125394,
title = {A study of plutonium and americium concentrations in seaspray on the southern Scottish coast}
author = {McKay, W A, Strange, L, Walker, M I, and Halliwell, C M}
abstractNote = {Seaspray and seawater have been collected from the southern Scottish coast and, for comparison, Cumbria in northwest England during 1989 and 1991. The occurrence of sea-to-land transfer of the actinides plutonium and americium in seaspray was observed on these coasts using muslin screens (a semi-quantitative technique most efficient for collecting large spray droplets) and high volume conventional air samplers. The actinides and fine particulate in the spray were present in relatively higher concentrations than measured in the adjacent seawater, i.e. the spray was enriched in particulate actinides. The net efficiency of the muslim screens in collecting airborne plutonium isotopes and {sup 241}Am generally appeared to be about 20%. A review of earlier published concentrations of {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am measured in aerosol and deposition for over a year several tens of metres inland was carried out. This suggested that airborne activities are up to a factor of 5 times higher in Cumbria than southern Scotland. However, neither the new data collected in 1989 and 1991 nor this older data suggests any enhancement of seaspray actinide enrichment in southern Scotland compared to Cumbria. This finding contrasts with earlier, more limited, comparisons that have been carried out which suggested such a difference. There is clear evidence of considerable localised spatial and temporal variability in aerosol actinide enrichment over the beaches in both areas. Enrichments varies between 20 and 500 relative to the adjacent surf zone waters. However, the average enrichment in spray based on the continuous measurements made further inland is likely to be at the lower end of this range. (author).}
place = {United Kingdom}
year = {1992}
month = {Dec}
}
title = {A study of plutonium and americium concentrations in seaspray on the southern Scottish coast}
author = {McKay, W A, Strange, L, Walker, M I, and Halliwell, C M}
abstractNote = {Seaspray and seawater have been collected from the southern Scottish coast and, for comparison, Cumbria in northwest England during 1989 and 1991. The occurrence of sea-to-land transfer of the actinides plutonium and americium in seaspray was observed on these coasts using muslin screens (a semi-quantitative technique most efficient for collecting large spray droplets) and high volume conventional air samplers. The actinides and fine particulate in the spray were present in relatively higher concentrations than measured in the adjacent seawater, i.e. the spray was enriched in particulate actinides. The net efficiency of the muslim screens in collecting airborne plutonium isotopes and {sup 241}Am generally appeared to be about 20%. A review of earlier published concentrations of {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am measured in aerosol and deposition for over a year several tens of metres inland was carried out. This suggested that airborne activities are up to a factor of 5 times higher in Cumbria than southern Scotland. However, neither the new data collected in 1989 and 1991 nor this older data suggests any enhancement of seaspray actinide enrichment in southern Scotland compared to Cumbria. This finding contrasts with earlier, more limited, comparisons that have been carried out which suggested such a difference. There is clear evidence of considerable localised spatial and temporal variability in aerosol actinide enrichment over the beaches in both areas. Enrichments varies between 20 and 500 relative to the adjacent surf zone waters. However, the average enrichment in spray based on the continuous measurements made further inland is likely to be at the lower end of this range. (author).}
place = {United Kingdom}
year = {1992}
month = {Dec}
}