Deposition of artificial radionuclides from atmospheric Nuclear Weapon Tests estimated by soil inventories in French areas low-impacted by Chernobyl. 2010

Gaël Le Roux, and Céline Duffa, and Françoise Vray, and Philippe Renaud
Institut de Radioprotection et Sûreté Nucléaire, DEI/SESURE, Laboratoires d'Etudes Radioécologiques en milieu Continental et Marin, CEN Cadarache Bât. 153 BP 3, 13115 St Paul lez Durance, France. gael.leroux@ensat.f

Soil inventories of anthropogenic radionuclides were investigated in altitudinal transects in 2 French regions, Savoie and Montagne Noire. Rain was negligible in these 2 areas the days after the Chernobyl accident. Thus anthropogenic radionuclides are coming hypothetically only from Global Fallout following Atmospheric Nuclear Weapon Tests. This is confirmed by the isotopic signatures ((238)Pu/(239+240)Pu; (137)Cs/(239+240)Pu; and (241)Am/(239+240)Pu) close to Global Fallout value. In Savoie, a peat core age-dated by (210)Pb(ex) confirmed that the main part of deposition of anthropogenic radionuclides occurred during the late sixties and the early seventies. In agreement with previous studies, the anthropogenic radionuclide inventories are well correlated with the annual precipitations. However, this is the first time that a study investigates such a large panel of annual precipitation and therefore of anthropogenic radionuclide deposition. It seems that at high-altitude sites, deposition of artificial radionuclides was higher possibly due to orographic precipitations.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011005 Plutonium A naturally radioactive element of the actinide metals series. It has the atomic symbol Pu, and atomic number 94. Plutonium is used as a nuclear fuel, to produce radioisotopes for research, in radionuclide batteries for pacemakers, and as the agent of fission in nuclear weapons.
D011868 Radioisotopes Isotopes that exhibit radioactivity and undergo radioactive decay. (From Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed & McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Daughter Isotope,Daughter Nuclide,Radioactive Isotope,Radioactive Isotopes,Radiogenic Isotope,Radioisotope,Radionuclide,Radionuclides,Daughter Nuclides,Daugter Isotopes,Radiogenic Isotopes,Isotope, Daughter,Isotope, Radioactive,Isotope, Radiogenic,Isotopes, Daugter,Isotopes, Radioactive,Isotopes, Radiogenic,Nuclide, Daughter,Nuclides, Daughter
D011891 Rain Water particles that fall from the ATMOSPHERE. Rains
D002588 Cesium Radioisotopes Unstable isotopes of cesium that decay or disintegrate emitting radiation. Cs atoms with atomic weights of 123, 125-132, and 134-145 are radioactive cesium isotopes. Radioisotopes, Cesium
D002980 Climate The longterm manifestations of WEATHER. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Climates
D004784 Environmental Monitoring The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment. Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D005602 France A country in western Europe bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel, the Mediterranean Sea, and the countries of Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the principalities of Andorra and Monaco, and by the duchy of Luxembourg. Its capital is Paris. Corsica,Saint Pierre and Miquelon,Miquelon and Saint Pierre,Miquelon and St. Pierre,St. Pierre and Miquelon
D005843 Geography The science dealing with the earth and its life, especially the description of land, sea, and air and the distribution of plant and animal life, including humanity and human industries with reference to the mutual relations of these elements. (From Webster, 3d ed) Factor, Geographic,Factors, Geographic,Geographic Factor,Geographic Factors,Geography, Human,Human Geography
D000576 Americium A completely man-made radioactive actinide with atomic symbol Am, and atomic number 95. Its valence can range from +3 to +6. Because of its nonmagnetic ground state, it is an excellent superconductor. It is also used in bone mineral analysis and as a radiation source for radiotherapy.
D012987 Soil The unconsolidated mineral or organic matter on the surface of the earth that serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants. Peat,Humus,Soils

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