The activity concentrations of 238U, 226Ra and 210Pb were modelled in Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine trees) on a uniform CaF2 sludge heap in Belgium. The aim of this work is to enhance the knowledge of how transfer factors behave in NORM landfills. The simplest possible model in radioecology is used, which is based on Concentration Ratios (CR-s) measured in equilibrium and activity concentrations of

In Japan, the radiocesium activity concentration in milk must be less than 50 Bq/kg-fresh to meet shipping standards, and the radiocesium concentration of the diet fed to dairy cattle must be less than 500 Bq/kg-dry. After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, we conducted two experiments to investigate whether Prussian blue (PB) could suppress the radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) activity concentration

Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element commonly found at low levels in natural systems such as lacustrine or marine sediments. Anthropogenic activities including former uranium mining activities can lead to the dissemination of radium isotopes having high radiological toxicities, which potentially threaten the safety of nearby environments. Although radium mobility in oxidized environments

The novel approach for optimising soil sampling strategies in areas affected by radionuclides is suggested. Major factors influencing the efficiency of soil sampling strategies, including (number of samples, sampling area size, sampling depth and spatial resolution of the sample sites are examined to provide optimisation of the soil sampling plan. The experimental field studies to validate the suggested

The effects of radiation on radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) affected by the Chernobyl accident were studied at five sites with different deposition levels. The study sites were chosen along a high gradient of depositions at the distance of a few hundred meters in the forests with similar forest characteristics. Air dose rates varied at the sites from the background values up to 30 μGy h−1

Micro-SWIFT SPRAY (MSS) is a 3D Lagrangian particle dispersion model that maintains a good balance between accuracy and computational cost. However, its capabilities for air dispersion modeling in the presence of both complex topography and high building densities have not been investigated for nuclear emergency response. In this study, MSS is systematically evaluated against two wind tunnel experiments

Some unexpected sporadic increases of an environmental radioactive background have been recorded at mountain level at Baksan Neutrino Observatory (BNO, 1700 m above sea level) using electron-neutron detectors (en-detectors), which could be explained by radioactive aerosol enhancements. The large area inorganic scintillator en-detectors developed for cosmic ray study are continuously monitoring environmental

The current spatial distribution of the risk of terrestrial gamma radiation in China were investigated by using spatial interpolation. And the driving factors influence on the terrestrial gamma radiation dose (TGRD) distribution were identified using the geographic detector, a new statistical method based on the nonlinear hypothesis. The results showed that the values of TGRD were range from 60 to

This study was conducted to assess the natural radiation intensity of radon observed from ‘G’ islands and its effects against Bacillus pumilus, predominantly found throughout the field survey. The physicochemical properties and microbial characteristics were simultaneously investigated and compared. From these studies, it was confirmed that the areal distribution of radon concentration varied from

Possibility of the economical utilization of forests in the radioactive contaminated areas depends on compliance of the radionuclide activity concentrations in wood with the hygiene norms or national standards that are established by the governments or regulators. Since such regulations consider wood as a whole, development of the sampling methods for assessment of compliance of wood to the norms or

Horses are important food sources in several countries however, data on their radionuclide uptake is less available than for many other farm animals. Information on the transfer of artificial radioisotopes from the environment to the food supply is necessary for internal dose assessment and assuring the safety of the population relying on this food source. This study provides data for a less studied

After Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, airborne gamma-ray detection was used for regional mapping of soil contamination. For such surveys, the flight-line spacing is an important factor controlling the quality of contamination maps. In this study, cesium-137 (137Cs) ground activity is interpolated and mapped using ordinary kriging method; thereafter the error of interpolation

210Po, being a highly radiotoxic isotope, could contribute to significant inhalation dose to humans. This study establishes the first set of atmospheric 210Po data in aerosol samples collected across Kuwait. The primary focus of this study is to investigate spatio-temporal variability of atmospheric 210Po and assess its sources, including anthropogenic contributions. Measurements of 210Po in aerosols

This study investigated the fluctuation of NF-KB and HIF-1a gene expression between inhabitants of a high-level background radiation area (HBRA) and a normal-level background radiation area (NBRA) of Ramsar, Iran. Sixty participants with the mean age of 48 ± 15 years were selected and divided into two groups. The group receiving a dose of ≤1.5 mGy/year (NBRA) was considered the control group and the

Based on the fact that uranyl ions (UO22+) adsorbed on GO can enhanced the peroxidase-like activity of graphene oxide (GO), a novel colorimetric strategy for visualizing quantitative determination of uranyl ions was established. The peroxidase-like activity of GO-UO22+ nanocomposites was assessed by catalyzing H2O2 oxidation of TMB to produce a distinct color reaction. A good linearity between the

To investigate how radiocesium (137Cs) is retained in the O horizon via interactions with organic matter, we collected O horizon samples in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and konara oak (Quercus serrata) forest sites in Fukushima during the 8 years following the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. To assess degradability and 137Cs retention capacity of organic matter, we conducted

The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) in Ukraine on April 26, 1986 led to a considerable release of radioactive material resulting in environmental contamination over vast areas of Belarus, Ukraine and western Russian Federation. The major health effect of the Chernobyl accident was an increase in thyroid cancer incidence in people exposed as children and adolescents, so much attention

Measurement of indoor 222Rn concentration and interpretation of distribution patterns are important for inhalation dosimetry in occupational and residential areas. Experimental determination of 222Rn concentration distribution and estimation of inhalation doses depend on the underlying aspects such as calibration of the detectors, accuracy of the techniques etc. Therefore, 222Rn concentration distribution

Incorporation of radiocesium by plants via root uptake appears to be affected by some of the exchangeable cations in the soil and/or pH of the soil. However, few studies have examined the relationship between 137Cs in trees and soil properties in the area surrounding the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) after the accident in March 2011. To elucidate the relationships between the root

Tritium processing facilities may release tritium oxide (HTO) to the atmosphere which poses potential health risks to exposed co-located workers and to offsite individuals. Most radiological consequence analyses determine HTO dose by applying Gaussian plume models to simulate the transport of HTO. Within these models, deposition velocity is used to assess the sum of all deposition processes acting

This study focuses on the determination of field solid/liquid ratios (Rd) values of trace element (TE) and radionuclide (RN) in the Seine River (France) during a concerted low radioactivity level liquid regulatory discharge performed by a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and their confrontation with Kd values calculated from geochemical modeling. This research focuses on how field Rd measurements of TE and

Improving predictive models for noble gas transport through natural materials at the field-scale is an essential component of improving US nuclear monitoring capabilities. Several field-scale experiments with a gas transport component have been conducted at the Nevada National Security Site (Non-Proliferation Experiment, Underground Nuclear Explosion Signatures Experiment). However, the models associated

Radiocesium that originated from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident was deposited on the ground surface and has been transported via fluvial discharge, primarily in the form of particulates, to downstream areas and eventually to the ocean. During transportation, some of the radiocesium accumulated on the riverbed. In this study, we quantified the radiocesium deposition on the riverbed

210Po and 210Pb are commonly measured to study particle cycling and particulate organic carbon export (POC) flux from the upper ocean. 210Bi is a potential oceanographic tracer. However, no convenient and rapid analytical method for 210Bi has been developed in the marine environment due to its short half-life (5 days). The aims are to study factors influencing the simultaneous auto-plating of 210Po

The correlation between radon exposure and the increased probability of lung cancer is widely recognized. In Portugal, several efforts have been made to estimate the radon potential in granitic rocks, however, existing knowledge on sedimentary rocks is limited. For this reason, extensive representative sampling was conducted in the well-known Lower and Middle Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin (Central

For the first time since the Chernobyl accident, detectable concentrations of ruthenium-106 were measured across Europe in September and October 2017. The source of this radioactive cloud remains unconfirmed. In this paper we present a forensic inverse modelling study to simultaneously estimate the source location, timing and magnitude of the unexpected ruthenium-106 release using 473 measurements

In highly permeable sedimentary rock formations, U extraction by in-situ leaching techniques (ISR − In-Situ Recovery) is generally considered to have a limited environmental impact at ground level. Significantly, this method of extraction produces neither mill tailings nor waste rocks. Underground, however, the outcome for 238U daughter elements in aquifers is not well known because of their trace

Radiation air dose rates near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) have been steadily decreasing over the past eight years since the release of radioactive elements in March 2011. Currently, the radiation monitoring program is expected to transition to long-term monitoring after most of the remediation activities are completed. The main long-term monitoring objectives are to (1) confirm

Radon (Rnair) was monitored in open air in publicly accessible areas surrounding the Pinenut uranium (U) mine during mining and reclamation activities in 2015–16 to address concerns about mining related effects to areas surrounding Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) in Arizona, USA. During July 2015, Rnair concentrations associated with the ore storage pile monitoring site were larger than those at

In this work, we present a method to use the European nuclear emergency response system RODOS for analysis of potential sources of airborne radioactivity of an unknown origin. The method is based on a solution of adjoint equations, without modification of the code of long-range atmospheric dispersion model MATCH used in RODOS. The method has been successfully applied to the Ru-106 accident of 2017

As the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors approach the end of generation, research and characterisation are required to support the decommissioning strategy. Radiological data for AGR graphite are negligible and the radiological inventory of the AGR core and other graphite components rely on activation modelling. This is the first study of C-14 activity and its release behaviour in AGR core graphite and

Assessing the impact of radioactive iodine on humans subsequent to a nuclear accident requires a better understanding of its behaviour in the environment. An original approach aimed at developing a model constrained by data collected during experimental campaigns has been developed. These experimental campaigns, named MIOSEC 2 and MIOSEC 3 respectively, were conducted in the middle of grassland. They

This paper presents the results of radioecological monitoring study of natural radionuclide 210Po in 11 lakes located in different regions of the Crimean peninsula. These investigations of the Crimean salt lakes were conducted for the first time in the history. The main objectives of this work were: to determine the features of the 210Ро behavior in the salt lakes ecosystems, as well as calculation

In this study, removal of 209Po from aqueous media using a natural zeolite as an adsorbent material was investigated. The adsorption experiments were performed by batch technique. The influence of specific process parameters such as initial concentration, pH of solution, contact time and temperature was studied to predict the optimum conditions for effective removing of 210Po. Initial and equilibrium

Most available measurement methods and protocols for radioactive materials are focused on the use of high-precision sampling and analysis and do not consider the practicality of these techniques in the case of large-scale emergencies involving high numbers of samples and measurements. The experience gained after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident has demonstrated a need for

Gamma spectrometry is widely used for radionuclide activity measurement of environmental sample including 226Ra in soil because it is versatile, easy to implement, non-destructive, and relatively cheap compared to other methods. By gamma spectrometry, 226Ra can be determined directly using its energy peak of 186.2 keV or indirectly by its decay products which are in secular equilibrium with 226Ra,

In order to facilitate direct testing of the biological effects of radon, we designed and constructed a 3.1 m3 radon chamber specifically for radon exposures to small animals. The chamber is designed to operate as a sealed enclosure with a controlled atmosphere containing a known concentration of radon and its radioactive decay products. Sensors for air flow rate, temperature, humidity, HEPA filter

Ambient radioactivity and atmospheric electricity are inextricably linked phenomena. In order to assess the role of ambient radioactivity in the local variability of the atmospheric electric field at an urban site, simultaneous measurements of radon concentration, gamma radiation, and atmospheric electric field are carried out in the city of Porto, Portugal. Both radon and gamma radiation display an

In this study we performed microscopic characterization of mineral particles that were collected in the thorium-rich Fen Complex in Norway and identified and isolated based on autoradiography in function of their radioactivity. For this we combined information obtained with X-ray absorption μ-CT, μ-XRF and μ-XRD, both in bi- and in three-dimensional (tomographic) mode. We demonstrate that radionuclides

The seasonal variations of radon exhalation rate from soil surface were studied in two seismically active regions of the Russian Federation - the Baikal rift and the North Caucasus. In each region, monthly measurements of the radon exhalation have been carried out at two relatively proximal sites, one of which was located within the active fault zone and the other outside of the fault zone. The Open

Isotopic ratios of radioxenon captured in the atmosphere can be indicators of the occurrence of an underground nuclear explosion. However, civilian sources of xenon isotopes, such as medical isotope production facilities and nuclear reactors, can interfere with detection of signals associated with nuclear testing, according to a standard model of the evolution of radioxenon isotopic abundances in a

Atmospheric activity concentration of 7Be in the air was monitored during the period of one year from September 2015 to September 2016 at Ostrava, Czech Republic, with a two-day frequency that is shorter compared to a standard 7-day frequency of routine 7Be measurements. Simultaneously, relevant meteorological data (temperature, rainfall amount, precipitation particle size and speed, tropopause height

The measurement of radioactivity in food and agricultural ecosystems is an essential task for keeping the population safe after a nuclear emergency. Prior to the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in 2011, the probability of such an accident, combining complex effects of natural and technical factors, was not reflected in detail in national emergency

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, which occurred in March 2011, has released large amounts of radionuclides (such as radioiodine and radiocesium) into the atmosphere, resulting in the contamination of terrestrial and marine environments. To assess radiological and environmental effects of the FDNPP-derived radionuclides, huge amounts of radioactive monitoring activities have

Understanding the processes governing the behavior of radiocesium in the sea is still essential to make accurate assessments of its potential impacts on marine ecosystems. One of the most important of this process is the desorption that may occur at the river-sea interface due to changes in physico-chemical conditions, including ionic strength and solution composition. It has been the subject of many

Atmospheric transport and dispersion models are important tools in radiation protection as they help to estimate the impact of radionuclides released into the atmosphere. In particular, such models can be used in combination with radionuclide observations to estimate unknown source term parameters, or to improve source term estimates obtained through other methods. In this paper, a Bayesian inference

To monitor radioactivity levels in seawater Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety has installed and been operating 18 NaI(Tl)-based gamma detectors around the Korean peninsula. This study was conducted to estimate the detector efficiency and MDA of 137Cs in seawater for measurement situations. For this purpose, experiments in the air and a water tank, and Monte Carlo simulations were performed using a

Aerosols dispersed in the atmosphere represent important factors influencing not only the environment, but also human health. Carbonaceous aerosols are one of the main components of total atmospheric aerosols, and their sources are of great interest. Radiocarbon analysis provides an excellent way to determine the fraction of fossil and non-fossil aerosols in the atmosphere. Over the period of one year

The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accidents following the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake, and subsequent tsunami released radioactive materials into the atmosphere and caused significant public health concerns, particularly thyroid cancers in children. However, the lack of measurement data for atmospheric concentrations of 131I has caused persistent and widespread uncertainty. This study

In order to study radiocarbon levels at a clean air location in Slovakia with no significant local anthropogenic effects, we took tree ring samples from a tree in the vicinity of Jasná recreational area in the Low Tatras region in the central part of Slovakia. There are no significant local fossil fuel emission sources, so these samples represent a regional clean air background important for 14C studies

The assessment of the radiological impact of decommissioning activities at a nuclear power plant requires a detailed analysis of the distribution of radionuclides in the environment surrounding it. The present work concerns data of three campaigns carried out during the last twenty years in the plain of the Garigliano river surrounding the Garigliano Nuclear Power Plant (GNPP), which is located in

The western North Pacific is one of the most studied oceanic basins due to its diverse structure and important role in connection with the adjacent reservoirs. Tritium (3H) and radiocarbon (14C) have been frequently exploited as oceanographic tracers due to their suitable properties; several extensive observation projects, such as GEOSECS, WOCE and WOMARS, used these two radionuclides to investigate

The mobility of 137Cs in soil decreases with time owing to fixation by micaceous minerals. Such ageing is a critical parameter for estimating and predicting annual change in 137Cs contamination risk of agricultural products. The decrease in the exchangeable fraction of 137Cs has traditionally been used as an index of the 137Cs ageing. Under field conditions, however, exchangeable 137Cs is influenced

We describe here a first attempt to estimate the water seepage rate of an active crater lake using radioactive cesium dispersed into the environment by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011 as a hydrological tracer. Kusatsu-Shirane volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan and has an active crater lake named Yugama. There is no outflow such as a river from Yugama

This paper reports concentrations of γ-emitter radionuclides (40K, 137Cs, 210Pb, 226Ra, 228Ra, 228Th and 234Th) and some metals (Al, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Cd, Sb, Cs, Pb, Th and U) in surficial sediments from the Ankobra, Pra and Volta estuaries, in Ghana. Artisanal gold-mining in the Ankobra and Pra basins promoted moderate enrichments of As, Sb, Cu, Cs and Cr in their estuarine sediments