POLONIUM, URANIUM AND PLUTONIUM RADIONUCLIDES IN AQAUTIC ENVIRONMENT OF POLAND AND SOUTHERN BALTIC
Journal Title: Baltic Coastal Zone - Year 2009, Vol 13, Issue 2
Abstract
In the paper were presented the results of study for determination of natural (polonium 210Po, uranium 234U and 238U) and artificial (plutonium 238Pu, 239+240Pu and 241Pu) alpha radionuclides in aquatic environment of Poland and southern Baltic Sea as well as the recognition of their accumulation in marine trophic chain. The obtained results indicated that Vistula and Odra as well as Rega, Parsęta and Słupia are important sources of analyzed radionuclides in southern Baltic Sea. Total annual runoff of polonium, uranium and plutonium from Vistula, Odra and Pomeranian rivers to the Baltic Sea was calculated as about 95 GBq of 210Po, 750 GBq of 234+238U and 160 MBq of 238+239+240Pu. Investigation on the polonium 210Po, uranium 234U and 238U, as well as and plutonium 238Pu, 239+240Pu and 241Pu. concentration in Baltic biota revealed that these radionuclides, especially polonium and plutonium, are strongly accumulated by some species. The results indicate that the Baltic organisms accumulate polonium and plutonium from environment and the bioconcentration factors (BCF) range from 25 to 27 000. The Baltic Sea algae, benthic animals and fish concentrate uranium only to a small degree. In Baltic sediments, the concentration of uranium increases with core depth and it is connected with the diffusion of 234U, 235U and 238U from sediments via intersticial water to bottom water. The values of 234U/238U activity ratio in the sediments indicated that the possible reduction process of U(VI) to U(IV) and the removing of autogenic uranium from seawater to sediments in the Gdańsk Deep and Bornholm Deep constitutes a small part only.
Authors and Affiliations
Bogdan Skwarzec
Keywords
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