14C Levels in Tree Rings Located Near Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, China

Wang, Zhongtang; Xiang, Yu‐Tao; Guo, Qiuju

doi:10.2458/azu_js_rc.v54i2.15869

Cited by 20 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Compared to these, at the other end of the time spectrum is the use of plants to sample 14 C / C ratios in the atmosphere through their photosynthetic fixation of atmospheric CO 2 . Depending on the species these integrate over sampling windows of a full growing season (annual crops, fruits -Shibata et al, 2005;Hsueh et al, 2007;Palstra et al, 2008;Riley et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2013) or longer (trees, tree-rings -Suess, 1955;Stuiver and Quay, 1981;Wang et al, 2012). …”

Section: Bozhinova Et Al: Modeling 14 Co 2 For Western Europementioning

confidence: 99%

Simulating the integrated summertime Δ14CO2 signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Radiocarbon dioxide ( 14 CO 2 , reported in 14 CO 2 ) can be used to determine the fossil fuel CO 2 addition to the atmosphere, since fossil fuel CO 2 no longer contains any 14 C. After the release of CO 2 at the source, atmospheric transport causes dilution of strong local signals into the background and detectable gradients of 14 CO 2 only remain in areas with high fossil fuel emissions. This fossil fuel signal can moreover be partially masked by the enriching effect that anthropogenic emissions of 14 CO 2 from the nuclear industry have on the atmospheric 14 CO 2 signature. In this paper, we investigate the regional gradients in 14 CO 2 over the European continent and quantify the effect of the emissions from nuclear industry. We simulate the emissions and transport of fossil fuel CO 2 and nuclear 14 CO 2 for Western Europe using the Weather Research and Forecast model (WRF-Chem) for a period covering 6 summer months in 2008. We evaluate the expected CO 2 gradients and the resulting 14 CO 2 in simulated integrated air samples over this period, as well as in simulated plant samples.We find that the average gradients of fossil fuel CO 2 in the lower 1200 m of the atmosphere are close to 15 ppm at a 12 km × 12 km horizontal resolution. The nuclear influence on 14 CO 2 signatures varies considerably over the domain and for large areas in France and the UK it can range from 20 to more than 500 % of the influence of fossil fuel emissions. Our simulations suggest that the resulting gradients in 14 CO 2 are well captured in plant samples, but due to their time-varying uptake of CO 2 , their signature can be different with over 3 ‰ from the atmospheric samples in some regions. We conclude that the framework presented will be well-suited for the interpretation of actual air and plant 14 CO 2 samples.

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Section: Bozhinova Et Al: Modeling 14 Co 2 For Western Europementioning

confidence: 99%

Simulating the integrated summertime Δ14CO2 signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…At the other end of the time spectrum is the use of plants to sample 14 C/C ratios in the atmosphere through their photosynthetic fixation of atmospheric CO 2 . Depending on the species these integrate over sampling windows of a full growing season (annual crops, fruits - Shibata et al, 2005;Hsueh et al, 2007;Palstra et al, 2008;Riley et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2013) or longer (trees, tree-rings - Suess, 1955;Stuiver and Quay, 1981;Wang et al, 2012). An effective monitoring strategy for fossil fuel emissions is likely to take advantage of all methods available to collect 14 C samples, and combine these with high resolution Figures monitoring of related gases (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulating the integrated Δ14CO2 signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

Bozhinova¹,

Molen²,

Krol³

et al. 2013

Preprint

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Abstract. Radiocarbon dioxide (14CO2, reported in Δ14CO2) can be used to determine the fossil fuel CO2 addition to the atmosphere, since fossil fuel CO2 no longer contains any 14C. After release of CO2 at the source, atmospheric transport causes dilution of strong local signals into the background and detectable gradients of Δ14CO2 only remain in areas with high fossil fuel emissions. This fossil fuel signal can moreover be partially masked by the enriching effect that anthropogenic emissions of 14CO2 from the nuclear industry have on the atmospheric Δ14CO2 signature. In this paper, we investigate the regional gradients in 14CO2 over the European continent and quantify the effect of the emissions from nuclear industry. We simulate the emissions of fossil fuel CO2 and nuclear 14CO2 for Western Europe for a period covering 6 months in 2008 and their transport using the Weather Research and Forecast model (WRF-Chem). We evaluate the expected CO2 gradients and the resulting Δ14CO2 in simulated integrated air samples over this period, as well as in simulated plant samples. We find that the average gradients of fossil fuel CO2 in the lower 1200 m of the atmosphere are close to 15 ppm at a 12 km × 12 km horizontal resolution. The nuclear influence on Δ14CO2 signatures varies considerably over the domain and for large areas in France and UK it can range from 20% to more than 500% of the influence of fossil fuel emissions. Our simulations suggest that the resulting gradients in Δ14CO2 are well captured in plant samples, but due to their time-varying uptake of CO2 their signature can be different with over 3‰ from the atmospheric samples in some regions. We conclude that the framework presented will be well-suited for the interpretation of actual air and plant 14CO2 samples.

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The risk of leukaemia in young children from exposure to tritium and carbon-14 in the discharges of German nuclear power stations and in the fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing

Wakeford

2014

Radiat Environ Biophys

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Towards the end of 2007, the results were published from a case-control study (the "KiKK Study") of cancer in young children, diagnosed <5 years of age during 1980-2003 while resident near nuclear power stations in western Germany. The study found a tendency for cases of leukaemia to live closer to the nearest nuclear power station than their matched controls, producing an odds ratio that was raised to a statistically significant extent for residence within 5 km of a nuclear power station. The findings of the study received much publicity, but a detailed radiological risk assessment demonstrated that the radiation doses received by young children from discharges of radioactive material from the nuclear reactors were much lower than those received from natural background radiation and far too small to be responsible for the statistical association reported in the KiKK Study. This has led to speculation that conventional radiological risk assessments have grossly underestimated the risk of leukaemia in young children posed by exposure to man-made radionuclides, and particular attention has been drawn to the possible role of tritium and carbon-14 discharges in this supposedly severe underestimation of risk. Both (3)H and (14)C are generated naturally in the upper atmosphere, and substantial increases in these radionuclides in the environment occurred as a result of their production by atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons during the late 1950s and early 1960s. If the leukaemogenic effect of these radionuclides has been seriously underestimated to the degree necessary to explain the KiKK Study findings, then a pronounced increase in the worldwide incidence of leukaemia among young children should have followed the notably elevated exposure to (3)H and (14)C from nuclear weapons testing fallout. To investigate this hypothesis, the time series of incidence rates of leukaemia among young children <5 years of age at diagnosis has been examined from ten cancer registries from three continents and both hemispheres, which include registration data from the early 1960s or before. No evidence of a markedly increased risk of leukaemia in young children following the peak of above-ground nuclear weapons testing, or that incidence rates are related to level of exposure to fallout, is apparent from these registration rates, providing strong grounds for discounting the idea that the risk of leukaemia in young children from (3)H or (14)C (or any other radionuclide present in both nuclear weapons testing fallout and discharges from nuclear installations) has been grossly underestimated and that such exposure can account for the findings of the KiKK Study.

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¹⁴C Levels in Tree Rings Located Near Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, China

Cited by 20 publications

References 21 publications

Simulating the integrated summertime Δ<sup>14</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

Simulating the integrated summertime Δ<sup>14</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

Simulating the integrated Δ<sup>14</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

The risk of leukaemia in young children from exposure to tritium and carbon-14 in the discharges of German nuclear power stations and in the fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing

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14C Levels in Tree Rings Located Near Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, China

Cited by 20 publications

References 21 publications

Simulating the integrated summertime Δ&lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

Simulating the integrated summertime Δ&lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

Simulating the integrated Δ&lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

The risk of leukaemia in young children from exposure to tritium and carbon-14 in the discharges of German nuclear power stations and in the fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing

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Product

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About

¹⁴C Levels in Tree Rings Located Near Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, China

Simulating the integrated summertime Δ<sup>14</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

Simulating the integrated summertime Δ<sup>14</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe

Simulating the integrated Δ<sup>14</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> signature from anthropogenic emissions over Western Europe