Gas ebullition associated with biological processes in radioactively contaminated reservoirs could lead to airborne radioactive contamination

Background: Storage reservoirs of radioactive waste could be the source of atmospheric pollution due to the efflux of aqueous aerosol from their water areas. The main mechanism of formation of aqueous aerosols is the collapse of gas bubbles at the water surface. In this paper, we discuss the potential influence of biological factors on gas ebullition in the water areas of the radioactively contaminated industrial reservoirs R-9 (Lake Karachay) and R-4 (Metlinsky pond) of the Mayak PA. The emission of the released non-dissolved gases captured with gas traps in reservoir R-9 was (88-290) ml/m2 per day (2015) and in reservoir R-4 (270-460) ml/m2 per day (2016). The analysis of gas composition in reservoir R-4 (60% methane, 35% nitrogen, 2.4% oxygen, 1.5% carbon dioxide) confirms their biological origin. It is associated with the processes of organic matter destruction in bottom sediments. The major source of organic matter in bottom sediments is the dying phytoplankton developing in these reservoirs. Conclusion: The obtained results form the basis to set a task to quantify the relationship between the phytoplankton development, gases ebullition and radioactive atmosphere contamination.