“Hot” and active particles in alluvial soils and sediments of the Yenisei river: Radioisotope composition

Abstract

Abstract. New data on abundance and isotope composition of "hot" and active particles in alluvial soils and sediments of the Yenisei river (Krasnoyarsk region, Russia), located in a near influence zone of the Krasnoyarsk Mining and Chemical Processing Plant (KMCPP), are presented in this study. On a set of gamma-emitting radioisotopes all "hot" particles can be divided on three groups: Eu and 60 Co is interesting. Some active particles due to their set of radioisotopes can be referred to the finely dispersed fragments of the «hot»particles. However, the majority of them have the nature distinct from the "hot" particles.

The relationship of mineral and geochemical composition to artificial radionuclide partitioning in Yenisei river sediments downstream from Krasnoyarsk

“…Therefore, releases of radioactive particles have occurred more frequently than perhaps usually anticipated (Salbu 2001). Most of those particles were uranium containing graphite particles of relatively large size (300 to 700 μm); practically in all particles 137 Cs was the dominating radionuclide (Bolsunovsky et al 1998;Sukhorukov et al 2009). At the same time active particles with much lower activities (n·10 1 to n·10 3 Bq per particle) were spread more abundantly and could be demonstrated only in laboratory conditions using repeated quartering and high precision gammaspectroscopy (Gritchenko et al 2001;Sukhorukov et al 2009).…”

“…Most of those particles were uranium containing graphite particles of relatively large size (300 to 700 μm); practically in all particles 137 Cs was the dominating radionuclide (Bolsunovsky et al 1998;Sukhorukov et al 2009). At the same time active particles with much lower activities (n·10 1 to n·10 3 Bq per particle) were spread more abundantly and could be demonstrated only in laboratory conditions using repeated quartering and high precision gammaspectroscopy (Gritchenko et al 2001;Sukhorukov et al 2009). Their contribution to the total contamination was significant and reached up to 25-100% for different isotopes in flood land soils (Gritchenko et al 2001).…”

“…Gritchenko et al (2001) estimated their size to be in the order of 10 to100 μm. Sukhorukov et al (2009) categorized the active particles into polyisotopic (containing 152 Eu, 154 Eu, 155 Eu, 137 Cs, 60 Co, and 241 Am) and monoisotopic ( 60 Co or 137 Cs) particles. I "Soluble species, carbonates, cation-exchange forms", II "oxyhydroxides Fe, Mn", III "organic matter, sulfides", IV "residuals" I Exchangeable Ions, II "Carbonates"+"amorphous minerals, III "oxides and hydroxides of iron and manganese", IV "organic matter"+"particles", V "amorphous silicates", VI "residuals"…”

The relationship of mineral and geochemical composition to artificial radionuclide partitioning inYenisei river sediments downstream frommining-and-chemical combine rosatom

“…Therefore, releases of radioactive particles have occurred more frequently than perhaps usually anticipated [30]. Most of those particles were uranium containing graphite particles of relatively large size (300 to 700 μm); practically in all particles 137 Cs was the dominating radionuclide [31,32]. At the same time active particles with much lower activities (n·10 1 to n·10 3 Bq per particle) were spread more abundantly and could be demonstrated only in laboratory conditions using repeated quartering and high precision gamma-spectroscopy [32,33].…”

“…Most of those particles were uranium containing graphite particles of relatively large size (300 to 700 μm); practically in all particles 137 Cs was the dominating radionuclide [31,32]. At the same time active particles with much lower activities (n·10 1 to n·10 3 Bq per particle) were spread more abundantly and could be demonstrated only in laboratory conditions using repeated quartering and high precision gamma-spectroscopy [32,33]. Their contribution to the total contamination was significant and reached up to 25% -100% for different isotopes in flood land soils [33].…”