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Surface seawater samples collected from the North Sea and English Channel were analyzed for total 129I and 127I, as well as for iodide and iodate. Relatively high 129I concentrations (2-3 x 10(11) atoms/L) were observed in the northern part of the English Channel and in the southeastern North Sea. The atomic ratio of 129I/127I decreases from the eastern (1.0-1.9 x 10(-6)) to the western (4-6 x 10(-8)) parts of the North Sea and from the northeastern (1.5 x 10(-6)) to southwestern (1-5 x 10(-8)) parts of the English Channel. The ratios of iodide to iodate are 0.1-0.5 and 0.5-1.6 for 127I and 129I, respectively, in open seawaters, whereas these ratios range from 0.6 to 1.3 and 0.8 to 2.2, respectively, in coastal waters. The results suggest that (1) imprints of the La Hague facility dominates the 129I distribution in the surface water of the North Sea, (2) reduction of iodate to iodide is relatively fast during the transport to the European continental coast, (3) oxidation of newly produced 129I- to (129)IO3- is insignificant during water exchange between the coastal area and open sea, (4) reduction of iodate and oxidation of iodide in the open sea seems to be a slow process.

Environmental 129I mainly released from reprocessing plants at La Hague (France) and Sellafield (U.K.) provides a unique atmospheric and environmental tracer. This study deals with 129I and 127I speciation in precipitation collected in Denmarkduring 2001-2006 that indicates many newfindings. The concentrations of total 129I in precipitation vary from 0.28 to 5.63 x 10(9) atoms 129I L(-1) with an average of (2.34 +/- 1.43) x 10(9) atoms 129I L(-1), and the annual deposition flux of 129I is (1.25 +/- 0.30) x 10(12) atoms m(-2). Increased 129I levels in precipitation and 129I/ 127I ratio are attributed to the releases of 129I from the reprocessing plants at La Hague and Sellafield. Iodide is the major specie of 129I, which accounts for 50-99% of total 129I. The concentrations of total 127I vary from 0.78 to 2.70 microg iodine L(-1) with an average of 1.63 +/- 0.47 microg iodine L(-1), and annual deposition flux of 0.95 +/- 0.26 mg m(-2). Unlike 129I, iodate is the major specie of 127I, which accounts for 43-93% of total 127I. The 291I/ l27I atomic ratios for total iodine vary from 5.04 to 76.5 x 10(-8) with an average of (30.1 +/- 16.8) x 10(-8). These values are 10 times lower for iodate with an average of (2.95 +/- 3.13) x 10(-8). Seasonal variations of 129I/127 ml values and 129I concentrations are associated with highs in spring and lows in summer-autumn periods. Re-emission of 129 from the surface water of the English Channel, Irish Sea, North Sea, and Norwegian Sea, especially from the European continental coast areas, is evidently the major source of 129I in the precipitation, while stable 127I in the precipitation has multiple sources, i.e., marine, as well as terrestrial emission. This work shows that data on speciation of iodine isotopes can provide thorough indications about the sources and geochemical cycle despite the complicated atmospheric chemistry of iodine.