Traces of radioactive ¹³¹ I in rainwater and milk samples in Romania

Abstract

Measurements of 131 I (T 1/2 = 8.04 days) activities have been performed in the IFIN HH (Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering) underground laboratory situated in Unirea salt mine, Slȃnic-Prahova, Romania. The rainwater samples were collected starting on 27 March from Braşov and Slȃnic-Prahova. Also sheep and goat milk samples were collected in the Slȃnic, Braşov and Iaşi areas and measurements were subsequently made on them. The measurements on the samples were made at the IFIN HH's underground laboratory in an ultra-low radiation background, using a high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer equipped with a GeHP (hyperpure) detector having a full width at half-maximum of 1.80 keV at 1332.48 keV for the second 60 Co gamma ray and a relative efficiency of 22.8%. The results show a specific activity of 131 I from <0.063 to 0.75 Bq l −1 for rain. In the milk samples the specific activity varied from <0.12 to 5.2 Bq l −1 .

Environmental radioactivity analyses in Italy following the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident

“…After Fukushima accident, 131 I was detected in sheep milk until 5 May (Fig. 3), the maximum concentration detected was 4.9 AE 0.4 Bq L À1 , in agreement with Italian and European data (Margineanu et al, 2011;Potiriadis et al, 2011). The 137 Cs was always measured in small quantities (mean value 0.33 AE 0.07 Bq/L) as reported in Fig.…”

“…Regarding Cs isotopes, the only detected value of 134 Cs was 0.11 AE 0.03 Bq m À2 in Brasimone for the whole month of April, with a 134 Cs/ 137 Cs ratio of 0.7 AE 0.2. Likewise the atmospheric particulate data, also 131 I atmospheric deposition values are similar to Europe literature (Margineanu et al, 2011;Pittauerova et al, 2011).…”

A facility for direct measurements for nuclear astrophysics at IFIN-HH - a 3 MV tandem accelerator and an ultra-low background laboratory

“…The depth of the mine is around 210 m (∼600 meter water equivalent) [13]. The consideration for which this location has been chosen is the very low natural radioactivity, due to the fact that walls do not present cracks and due to the high purity of the salt [14].…”

“…low radiation background. The average dose underground was found 1.17 ± 0.14 nGy/h, approximately 80-90 times lower than the dose at the surface[4,14]. Ambient background radiation comes from: i) natural radioactivity (especially from the decay of 238 U,232 Th and 40 K);…”

Naturally occurring 137Cs, 90Sr and 226Ra radionuclides in raw milk in the Sibiu province of Romania

“…2011). According to meteorological information, the radioactive cloud reached the Romanian territory beginning on March 25–26 (Mărgineanu et al. 2011) .…”