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Title: 135Cs/137Cs isotopic composition of environmental samples across Europe: Environmental transport and source term emission applications

Abstract

135Cs/137Cs isotopic analyses represent an important tool for studying the fate and transport of radiocesium in the environment; in this work the 135Cs/137Cs isotopic composition in environmental samples taken from across Europe is reported. Surface soil and vegetation samples from western Russia, Ukraine, Austria, and Hungary show consistent aged thermal fission product 135Cs/137Cs isotope ratios of 0.58 ± 0.01 (age corrected to 1/1/15), with the exception of one sample of soil-moss from Hungary which shows an elevated 135Cs/137Cs ratio of 1.78 ± 0.12. With the exception of the outlier sample from Hungary, surface soil/vegetation data are in quantitative agreement with values previously reported for soils within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, suggesting that radiocesium at these locations is primarily composed of homogenous airborne deposition from Chernobyl. Seawater samples taken from the Irish Sea show 135Cs/137Cs isotope ratios of 1.22 ± 0.11 (age corrected to 1/1/15), suggesting aged thermal fission product Cs discharged from Sellafield. Furthermore, the differences in 135Cs/137Cs isotope ratios between Sellafield, Chernobyl, and global nuclear weapons testing fallout indicate that 135Cs/137Cs isotope ratios can be utilized to discriminate between and track radiocesium transport from different nuclear production source terms, including major emission sources in Europe.

Authors:
 [1];  [1]
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  1. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1294348
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1397678
Report Number(s):
INL/JOU-15-36733
Journal ID: ISSN 0265-931X; PII: S0265931X15301417
Grant/Contract Number:  
2012-DN-130-NF0001-02; AC07-05ID14517
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 151; Journal Issue: P1; Journal ID: ISSN 0265-931X
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; Cs-135; Cs-137; chernobyl; sellafield; attribution

Citation Formats

Snow, Mathew S., and Snyder, Darin C. 135Cs/137Cs isotopic composition of environmental samples across Europe: Environmental transport and source term emission applications. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.025.
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Snow, Mathew S., & Snyder, Darin C. 135Cs/137Cs isotopic composition of environmental samples across Europe: Environmental transport and source term emission applications. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.025
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Snow, Mathew S., and Snyder, Darin C. Mon . "135Cs/137Cs isotopic composition of environmental samples across Europe: Environmental transport and source term emission applications". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.025. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1294348.
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@article{osti_1294348,
title = {135Cs/137Cs isotopic composition of environmental samples across Europe: Environmental transport and source term emission applications},
author = {Snow, Mathew S. and Snyder, Darin C.},
abstractNote = {135Cs/137Cs isotopic analyses represent an important tool for studying the fate and transport of radiocesium in the environment; in this work the 135Cs/137Cs isotopic composition in environmental samples taken from across Europe is reported. Surface soil and vegetation samples from western Russia, Ukraine, Austria, and Hungary show consistent aged thermal fission product 135Cs/137Cs isotope ratios of 0.58 ± 0.01 (age corrected to 1/1/15), with the exception of one sample of soil-moss from Hungary which shows an elevated 135Cs/137Cs ratio of 1.78 ± 0.12. With the exception of the outlier sample from Hungary, surface soil/vegetation data are in quantitative agreement with values previously reported for soils within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, suggesting that radiocesium at these locations is primarily composed of homogenous airborne deposition from Chernobyl. Seawater samples taken from the Irish Sea show 135Cs/137Cs isotope ratios of 1.22 ± 0.11 (age corrected to 1/1/15), suggesting aged thermal fission product Cs discharged from Sellafield. Furthermore, the differences in 135Cs/137Cs isotope ratios between Sellafield, Chernobyl, and global nuclear weapons testing fallout indicate that 135Cs/137Cs isotope ratios can be utilized to discriminate between and track radiocesium transport from different nuclear production source terms, including major emission sources in Europe.},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.025},
journal = {Journal of Environmental Radioactivity},
number = P1,
volume = 151,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Nov 02 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Mon Nov 02 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.025
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Works referenced in this record:

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Method for ultra-trace cesium isotope ratio measurements from environmental samples using thermal ionization mass spectrometry
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Radioactive cesium isotope ratios as a tool for determining dispersal and re-dispersal mechanisms downwind from the Nevada Nuclear Security Site
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Preliminary evaluation of 135Cs/137Cs as a forensic tool for identifying source of radioactive contamination
journal, January 2008

135 Cs/ 137 Cs Isotopic Ratio as a New Tracer of Radiocesium Released from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident
journal, May 2014

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  • Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 48, Issue 10
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Fukushima Daiichi reactor source term attribution using cesium isotope ratios from contaminated environmental samples: 135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotopic analyses
    journal, January 2016

    • Snow, Mathew S.; Snyder, Darin C.; Delmore, James E.
    • Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, Vol. 30, Issue 4
    • DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7468

    Ultra-trace determination of the 135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotopic ratio by thermal ionization mass spectrometry with application to Fukushima marine sediment samples
    journal, January 2019

    • Bu, Wenting; Tang, Lei; Liu, Xuemei
    • Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, Vol. 34, Issue 2
    • DOI: 10.1039/c8ja00380g

    135Cs activity and 135Cs/137Cs atom ratio in environmental samples before and after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident
    journal, April 2016

    • Yang, Guosheng; Tazoe, Hirofumi; Yamada, Masatoshi
    • Scientific Reports, Vol. 6, Issue 1
    • DOI: 10.1038/srep24119

    The role of mass spectrometry in radioactive contamination assessment after the Fukushima nuclear accident
    journal, January 2018

    • Bu, Wenting; Ni, Youyi; Steinhauser, Georg
    • Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, Vol. 33, Issue 4
    • DOI: 10.1039/c7ja00401j
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