Variation in airborne 134Cs, 137Cs, particulate 131I and 7Be maximum activities at high-altitude European locations after the arrival of Fukushima-labeled air masses
The Fukushima-labeled air mass arrival, and later the cesium-134 (134Cs), cesium-137 (137Cs) and particulate iodine-131 (hereafter noted 131Ip) maximum levels were registered in Europe at different dates depending on the location. Most of those data were obtained at low-altitude sampling areas. Here...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Journal of environmental radioactivity 2016-10, Vol.162-163, p.14-22 |
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Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | The Fukushima-labeled air mass arrival, and later the cesium-134 (134Cs), cesium-137 (137Cs) and particulate iodine-131 (hereafter noted 131Ip) maximum levels were registered in Europe at different dates depending on the location. Most of those data were obtained at low-altitude sampling areas. Here, we compare the airborne levels registered at different high-altitude European locations (from 850 m to about 3500 m). The integrated 137Cs activity concentration was not uniform with regard to the altitude even after a long travel time/distance from Japan. Moreover, the relation of integrated 137Cs vs. altitude showed a linear decrease up to an altitude of about 3000 m. A similar trend was noticed for 131Ip (particulate fraction) while it increased above 3000 m. Comparison with 7Be activity concentration showed that, as far as the high altitude location is concerned, the 137Cs and 134Cs maximum concentrations corresponded to the 7Be maximum, suggesting downdraft movements from high tropospheric or stratospheric layers to be responsible for 137,134Cs increase and peak values. This was also confirmed by high potential vorticity and low relative humidity registered during the peak values.
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•Airborne radionuclides from the FDNPP accident, at high-altitude locations across Europe.•Total amount of 137Cs that passed was not homogeneous with regard to the altitude.•Peak concentrations were due to downdrafts as revealed by 7Be maximum and potential vorticity.•In accident situation, gaseous 131I monitoring should be more widely performed as for aerosols. |
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ISSN: | 0265-931X 1879-1700 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.05.004 |