Radioactive Contamination of the North-western Black Sea Sediments

Гулин, С. Б.; Polikarpov, G.G.; Егоров, В. Н.; Martin, Jean‐Marie; Korotkov, Andrey; Stokozov, N.A.

doi:10.1006/ecss.2000.0663

Cited by 51 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Deposition of non-volatile Chernobyl particles into the Danube watershed occurred during the course of the accident; over subsequent years, material has been eroding from the catchment basin, entering the Danube River, and is thereafter transported towards the Black Sea. The double peak behavior is consistent with annual variations in the Danube's discharge, as has been previously discussed [2].…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

“…In both cases, the 1963 stratospheric fallout deposition maximum is present at a depth of 18-20 cm. Several lines of evidence support the 1963 interpretation of this maximum: i) the Pu ratios in this depth range agrees with the isotopic composition of stratospheric fallout [8]; ii) a 238 Pu activity peak is also observed at this depth; iii) the 238 Pu/ 239+240 Pu activity ratios in this portion of the sediment core are close to the Northern Hemisphere stratospheric fallout activity ratio of 0.04 cited by Mietelski and Was [11]; and iv) the 239+240 Pu activity peaks also coincide with a 137 Cs activity maximum found in earlier studies [2]. The seven ICPMS-analyzed intervals between 14-16 cm and 26-28 cm, inclusive, have 240 Pu/ 239 Pu = 0.187 ± 0.005 (1 SD), which coincides with the 2 range of 0.180 ± 0.014 quoted by Kelley et al [8].…”

Section: Analytical Measurementssupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Plumes 2 and 3 deposited material into the Danube catchment basin, and are inferred to be responsible for the Pu detected in the Danube Delta sediments in the present study. [2]. The Chernobyl-derived Pu in the Danube Delta sediments evidently originates from non-volatile actinides deposited into the Danube catchment basin during April-May 1986, followed by erosion and fluvial transport to the Black Sea.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Danube basin generally received lower Chernobyl fallout than other basins such as the Dnieper and Don; however, with a vast catchment area of 817,000 km 2 , the Danube represents the largest source of dissolved and particle-associated nuclides that are still being transported into the Black Sea. Between 1986 and 1994, the estimated delivery of 137 Cs via the Danube was approximately 25 TBq [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Also associated with direct atmospheric fallout as well as fluvial transport, however, are nonvolatile radionuclides from fuel particles, including transuranium elements (Np, Pu, Am, Cm). In a 2002 study, Gulin et al [2] investigated the 137 Cs, 238 Pu, 239+240 Pu, and 241 Am activity profiles in sediments collected from the Danube and Dnieper Deltas. In surface sediments (0-5 cm), a distinct enhancement of 137 Cs was evident in the vicinities of the river mouths, with activities diminishing vs distance;…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Fluvial Transport of Chernobyl Plutonium (Pu) to the Black Sea: Evidence from 240Pu/239Pu Atom Ratios in Danube Delta Sediments

Ketterer¹

2010

TOCBMJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Analytical Measurementssupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Fluvial Transport of Chernobyl Plutonium (Pu) to the Black Sea: Evidence from 240Pu/239Pu Atom Ratios in Danube Delta Sediments

Ketterer¹

2010

TOCBMJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BlackSea: Radionuclides

Егоров¹,

Гулин²,

Polikarpov³

et al. 2005

Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Anthropogenic radionuclide pollution of the Black Sea originated primarily from the atmospheric nuclear weapon tests carried out during the late 1950s and early 1960s before the signing of the Test Ban Treaty in 1963, and after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) accident in April 1986. Chernobyl atmospheric fallout deposited 1.7–2.4 PBq of 137 Cs into the Black Sea surface, which temporarily increased the 137 Cs inventory of the 0–50 m surface layer by a factor of 6–10 in comparison with its pre‐Chernobyl value. The contribution of Chernobyl‐origin 90 Sr (0.1–0.3 PBq) from atmospheric fallout was lower in comparison with that of 137 Cs. A subsequent 90 Sr input from the Danube and the Dnieper Rivers (about 0.16 PBq) was an important contribution to the budget of this radionuclide in the Black Sea, while the riverine 137 Cs input (0.02–0.03 PBq) was insignificant. The decrease of the 137 Cs inventory in the surface layer after Chernobyl accident has been mainly controlled by vertical mixing, loss through the Bosporus Strait, and radioactive decay. The loss through the Bosporus accounted for 2–2.5% of the 137 Cs inventory. In the case of 90 Sr, these processes have been compensated by river inputs from the Dnieper and Danube up to 1994–1995 and partially after 2000. The vertical mixing of 137 Cs and 90 Sr was mainly effective within the 0–200 m layer. Sediment inventories of 137 Cs in the Danube and Dnieper delta regions exceeded by one order of magnitude the values in the slope zone and two orders of magnitude those in the deep basin. Because of the self‐cleaning processes, the current levels of anthropogenic radionuclides are relatively low in all the components of the Black Sea environment, and therefore do not pose any radiological problem. Doses to marine biota from 137 Cs and 90 Sr are several orders of magnitude lower than those from natural 210 Po.

show abstract