Study on the rate of plutonium vertical migration in various soil types of Lublin region (Eastern Poland)

Abstract

Soil contamination level with 239+240Pu of Lublin region was determined using the alpha spectrometric method. Results were compared with similar data from the study performed 15 year earlier. Decrease in total 239+240Pu concentration and reducing quantity of Chernobyl fraction (up to almost negligible value of 1 %) has been observed in upper soil layer. Determination of 239+240Pu concentration in soil profile layers allows calculating a vertical migration velocity of plutonium applying a compartment migration model. It was found that 239+240Pu migration rate varies depending on soil type from 0.29 cm year−1 in Podsols to 0.58 cm year−1 in Fluvisols with mean value of 0.5 cm year−1.

Concentration of selected radionuclides in skulls of European badger Meles meles from eastern Poland

“…Surprisingly, the determined high level of 238 Pu concentration in our studies is rather a result of a large uncertainty of determination and overestimation arising. Such a high concentration is not likely, as the global fallout was mainly the source of soil contamination with plutonium (9,16).We do not find any correlations between 137 Cs and 40 K in the skull bones of badgers. Similar relationship between 137 Cs and 40 K was observed in the case of fox skulls (8).…”

“…Additionally, it is worth noting that radionuclides still migrate downward in the soil. Therefore, after about 25 years from the Chernobyl disaster and 48 years from the maximum of global fallout, the concentration in the soil layer accessible for badgers became very low (16).…”

Plutonium Partitioning Behavior to Humic Acids from Widely Varying Soils Is Related to Carboxyl-Containing Organic Compounds

“…After HF digestion, the HA was washed repeatedly with Milli-Q water to minimize ions. After the purification, the abundance of organic C and N in HAs was determined, and their molecular composition was chemically characterized by solid state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (Table 1); this HA characterization data was previously reported elsewhere., 24 and the purified HAs were provided from Division of Agroenvironmental Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture Science, Kobe University. All HA samples for the HA-groundwater resuspension experiments described below were stored frozen at −5 °C.…”

“…Due to its radiotoxicity and long half-lives of its isotopes, such as 238 Pu ( t 1/2 = 88 yr), 239 Pu ( t 1/2 = 24100 yr) and 240 Pu ( t 1/2 = 6560 yr), Pu represents a long-term radiation risk to public health when released into the environment. Therefore, much attention has been focused on understanding Pu immobilization and migration pathways in soil environments − in order to inform monitoring and remediation strategies and polices for Pu-contaminated sites.…”

“…The objective of this study was to measure the partitioning of Pu between various humic acid (HA) fractions: truly dissolved, colloidal, and particulate phases. Furthermore, the HAs were characterized by solid-state 13 C NMR to identify the potentially strong Pu-binding carriers in the particulate and colloidal HA fractions. The approach was to collect HAs from a wide range of soil types in different global regions and environments, with contrasting organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents (e.g., N varying from 1.18% to 6.59%) and compositions (e.g., COO funcational group abundance varying from 13% to 20%; aromacity varying from 0.34 to 0.86).…”