Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wzw2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-07T19:35:00.161Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Levels of 14C in the Terrestrial Environment in the Vicinity of Two European Nuclear Power Plants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

åsa Magnusson ,
Kristina Stenström ,
Göran Skog ,
Diana Adliene ,
Gediminas Adlys ,
Ragnar Hellborg ,
Agata Olariu ,
Mohamad Zakaria ,
Christopher Rääf  and
Sören Mattsson
åsa Magnusson
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Division of Nuclear Physics, Lund University, Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Corresponding author. Email: asa.magnusson@nuclear.lu.se
Kristina Stenström
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Division of Nuclear Physics, Lund University, Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Corresponding author. Email: asa.magnusson@nuclear.lu.se
Göran Skog
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Quaternary Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
Diana Adliene
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Kaunas Technological University, LT-3031 Kaunas, Lithuania
Gediminas Adlys
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Kaunas Technological University, LT-3031 Kaunas, Lithuania
Ragnar Hellborg
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Division of Nuclear Physics, Lund University, Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Corresponding author. Email: asa.magnusson@nuclear.lu.se
Agata Olariu
Affiliation:
National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, RO-76900 Bucharest, Romania
Mohamad Zakaria
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Physics, Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, SE-205 02 Malmö, Sweden
Christopher Rääf
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Physics, Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, SE-205 02 Malmö, Sweden
Sören Mattsson
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Physics, Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, SE-205 02 Malmö, Sweden
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Radiocarbon is produced in all types of nuclear reactors. Most of the 14C released into the environment is in the form of gaseous emissions. Recent data on the 14C concentration found in terrestrial samples taken in the vicinity of nuclear power plants in Romania and Lithuania are presented. We found increased 14C levels in the surroundings of both power plants. At the Romanian power plant Cernavoda, we found excess levels of 14C in grass within a distance of about 1000 m, the highest 14C specific activity being 311 Bq/kg C (approximately 28% above the contemporary 14C background) found at a distance of 200 m from the point of release (nearest sampling location). At the Lithuanian power plant Ignalina, samples of willow, pine, and spruce showed a 14C excess of similar magnitude, while significantly higher values were found in moss samples. The samples were analyzed at the accelerator mass spectrometry facility in Lund, Sweden.

Type
Part II
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 46 , Issue 2: Proceedings of the 18th International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 2 of 2), Conference Editors: Nancy Beavan Athfield, Rodger J Sparks , 2004 , pp. 863 - 868
Copyright
Copyright © The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

References

ACRP. 1995. The management of carbon-14 in Canadian nuclear facilities. ACRP-14. Advisory Committee on Radiological Protection.Google Scholar
AECL. 2001. AECL's environmental assessment summary of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant—Unit 2 project. CES-03702-ENA-001, Rev 1. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.Google Scholar
Almenas, K, Kaliatka, A, Uspuras, E. 1998. Ignalina RBMK-1500, a source book. ISBN 9986-492-35-1. Ignalina Safety Analysis Group, Lithuanian Energy Institute.Google Scholar
Baciu, F, Baciu, A, Alexandrescu, M, Georgescu, M, Popescu, L, Antone, M, Suto, E, Dan, L. 1996. Environmental radioactivity surveillance of the Romanian CANDU reactor of Cernavoda; normal operation and accident scenarios. Proceedings of International IRPA Congresess IRPA9-Vienna-April 1996, Vol. 2. International Radiation Protection Association.Google Scholar
Bobric, E, Simionov, V. 1999. Environmental monitoring program at Cernavoda nuclear power plant, environmental radiation monitoring data for Cernavoda NPP March 1996 to December 1998. In: Gortnar, O, Stritar, A, editors. Nuclear Energy in Central Europe, Portoroz 1999. Conference of the Nuclear Society of Slovenia.Google Scholar
Boss, CR, Allsop, PJ. 1995. Radioactive effluents from CANDU 6 reactors during normal operation. AECL-11506. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.Google Scholar
Cooper, EL, Benz, ML, Cox, JM. 1998. Measurement of low-level airborne 14CO2 in the environment using passive sampling. Applied Radiation and Isotopes 49(9–11):1307–1311.Google Scholar
Dubourg, M. 1998. The carbon-14 cycle. In: Technologies for gas cooled reactor decommissioning, fuel storage and waste disposal. Proceedings of a Technical Committee Meeting. IAEA-TECDOC–1043. International Atomic Energy Agency.Google Scholar
IAEA. 2002. Heavy water reactors: status and projected development. Technical Report Series no. 407. STI/DOC/010/407. International Atomic Energy Agency.Google Scholar
Jakimaviciute-Maseliene, V, Mazeika, J, Petrosius, R. 2003. Spatial distribution of tritium and radiocarbon in Ignalina NPP region. Sveikatos Mokslai (Health sciences) 3:46–9. In Lithuanian.Google Scholar
Konstantinov, EA, Korablev, NA, Solovev, EN, Shamov, VP, Fedorov, VL, Litvinov, AM. 1989. 14C emission from RBMK-1500 reactors and features determining it. Soviet Atomic Energy 66(1):77–79.Google Scholar
Marsden, BJ, Hopkinson, KL, Wickham, AJ. 2002. The chemical form of carbon-14 within graphite. Report produced for NIREX. SA/RJCB/RD03612001/R01, Issue 4, 2002.Google Scholar
Mikhajlov, ND, Kolkovsky, VM, Pavlova, ID. 1999. Radiocarbon distribution in northwest Belarus near the Ignalina nuclear power plant. Radiocarbon 41(1):75–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milton, GM, Kramer, SJ, Brown, RM, Repta, CJW, King, KJ, Rao, RR. 1995. Radiocarbon dispersion around Canadian nuclear facilities. Radiocarbon 37(2):485–496.Google Scholar
Stenström, K. 1995. New applications of 14C measurements at the Lund AMS facility. [PhD dissertation]. Lund: Lund University Press.Google Scholar
Tenu, A, Davidescu, F, Cuculeanu, V. 2002. Tropospheric CO2 in Romania: concentration and isotopic composition measurements. In: Isotope aided studies of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, Phase II. IAEA-TECDOC-1269. International Atomic Energy Agency.Google Scholar
UNSCEAR. 2000. Sources and effects of ionizing radiation. UNSCEAR 2000 report to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes, Vol. I.Google Scholar