Seafood dose parameters: Updating 210Po retention factors for cooking, decay loss and mariculture.

210Po has been identified as one of the main contributors to ingestion doses to humans, particularly from the consumption of seafood. The amount of 210Po activity concentration data for various types of seafood has increased greatly in recent times. However, to provide realistic seafood dose assessments, most 210Po data requires correction to account for losses that can occur before the seafood is actually consumed. Here we develop generic correction factors for the main processes associated with reduction of 210Po in seafood - leaching during cooking, radioactive decay between harvest and consumption, and sourcing from mariculture versus wild-caught. When seafood is cooked, the overall mean fraction of 210Po retained is 0.74 for all cooking and seafood types, with the means for various seafood types and cooking categories ranging from 0.56 to 1.03. When considering radioactive decay during the period between harvest and consumption, the overall mean fraction remaining is 0.81 across all seafood preservation/packaging types, with estimates ranging from 0.50 (canned seafood) to 0.98 (fresh seafood). Regarding mariculture influence, the available limited data suggest marine fish and crustaceans raised with processed feed have about one order of magnitude lower (×0.10) 210Po muscle content than wild-caught seafood of the same or similar species, although this ratio varies. Overall, this study concludes that 210Po activity concentrations in seafood at the time of ingestion may be reduced to only about 55% compared to when it was harvested. Therefore, correction factors must be applied to any data derived from environmental monitoring in order to achieve realistic dose estimates. The data also suggest lower 210Po ingestion doses for consumers who routinely favour cooked, long shelf-life and farmed fish/crustaceans. However, more data is needed in some categories, especially for cooking of molluscs and seaweed, and for the 210Po content in all farmed seafood.

Assessment of residual radionuclide levels at the Bokak and Bikar Atolls in the northern Marshall Islands.

The Bikar and Bokak Atolls, located in the northern Marshall Islands, are extremely isolated and consist of pristine marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Both atolls may have experienced significant radioactive deposition following the nuclear weapon testing conducted at Bikini and Enewetak proving grounds. Here we report activity concentrations of artificial radionuclides (239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu, 241Am, 137Cs and 90Sr) in marine and terrestrial samples collected from Bikar and Bokak Atolls. Artificial radionuclides in soil from the Majuro Atoll are also reported and form a radiological baseline against which the levels at the other atolls can be compared. We observed low levels of artificial radionuclides in soil from Majuro and Bokak, but significantly higher levels in soil from Bikar. The residual radioactivity in the Bikar environment is comparable to the levels previously reported for other nearby atolls, including Taka and Utrik, but lower than for Rongerik, Rongelap, Bikini and Enewetak. An analysis of 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratios and estimations of the dates of contamination from 241Am/241Pu activity ratios both indicated that the Bikar Atoll was contaminated mainly by radioactive fallout from the Castle Bravo test in 1954. We compare the results of our measurements at Bikar and Bokak to data from other atolls in the Marshall Islands and to regions of the world affected by both global and regional fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents.

IAEA proficiency tests for determination of radionuclides in sea water.

The International Atomic Energy Agency organised four proficiency tests between 2012 and 2015 to test the performance of participating laboratories in an analysis of radionuclides in sea water samples. These exercises were initiated to support IAEA Member States in sea water analyses of tritium, strontium-90 and caesium isotopes in relation to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, in March 2011, and subsequent contamination of the marine environment.

Impact of Saharan dust events on radionuclide levels in Monaco air and in the water column of the northwest Mediterranean Sea.

Characterization of atmospheric aerosols collected in Monaco (2004-2008) and in sediment traps at 200 m and 1000 m water depths at the DYFAMED (Dynamics of Atmospheric Fluxes in the Mediterranean Sea) station (2004) was carried out to improve our understanding of the impact of Saharan dust on ground-level air and on the water column. Activity concentrations of natural (210Pb, 210Po, uranium and radium isotopes) and anthropogenic (137Cs, 239Pu, 240Pu, and 239+240Pu) radionuclides and their isotopic ratios confirmed a Saharan impact on the investigated samples. In association with a large particulate matter deposition event in Monaco on 20 February 2004, the 137Cs (∼40 Bq kg-1) and 239+240Pu (∼1 Bq kg-1) activities were almost a factor of two higher than other Saharan deposition dust events. This single-day particle flux represented 72% of the annual atmospheric deposition in Monaco. The annual deposition of Saharan dust on the sea was 232-407 mBq m-2 for 137Cs and 6.8-9.8 mBq m-2 for 239+240Pu and contributed significantly (28-37% for 137Cs and 34-45% for 239+240Pu) to the total annual atmospheric input to the northwest Mediterranean Sea. The 137Cs/239+240Pu activity ratios in dust samples collected during different Saharan dust events confirmed their global fallout origin or mixing with local re-suspended soil particles. In the sediment trap samples the 137Cs activity varied by a factor of two, while the 239+240Pu activity was constant, confirming the different behaviors of Cs (dissolved) and Pu (particle reactive) in the water column. The 137Cs and 239+240Pu activities of sinking particles during the period of the highest mass flux collected in 20 February 2004 at the 200 m and 1000 m water depths represented about 10% and 15%, respectively, of annual deposition from Saharan dust events.

Main results of the 2012 joint Norwegian-Russian expedition to the dumping sites of the nuclear submarine K-27 and solid radioactive waste in Stepovogo Fjord, Novaya Zemlya.

This paper reports the main results of the 2012 joint Norwegian-Russian expedition to investigate the radioecological situation of the Stepovogo Fjord on the eastern coast of Novaya Zemlya, where the nuclear submarine K-27 and solid radioactive waste was dumped. Based on in situ gamma measurements and the analysis of seawater and sediment samples taken around the submarine, there was no indication of any leakage from the reactor units of K-27. With regard to the radioecological status of Stepovogo Fjord, activity concentrations of all radionuclides in seawater, sediment and biota in 2012 were in general lower than reported from the previous investigations in the 1990s. However in 2012, the activity concentrations of (137)Cs and, to a lesser extent, those of (90)Sr remained elevated in bottom water from the inner part of Stepovogo Fjord compared with surface water and the outer part of Stepovogo Fjord. Deviations from expected (238)Pu/(239,240)Pu activity ratios and (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratios in some sediment samples from the inner part of Stepovogo Fjord observed in this study and earlier studies may indicate the possibility of leakages from dumped waste from different nuclear sources. Although the current environmental levels of radionuclides in Stepovogo Fjord are not of immediate cause for concern, further monitoring of the situation is warranted.

A new comparison of marine dispersion model performances for Fukushima Dai-ichi releases in the frame of IAEA MODARIA program.

A detailed intercomparison of marine dispersion models applied to the releases from Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant was carried out in the frame of MODARIA program, of the IAEA. Models were compared in such a way that the reasons of the discrepancies between them can be assessed (i.e., if they are due to the hydrodynamic part, the dispersion part, and the ultimate reasons). A sequential chain of dispersion exercises was carried out with this purpose. The overall idea is to harmonize models, making them run with the same forcing in a step-by-step procedure, in such a way that the main agent in producing discrepancy between models can be found. It was found that the main reason of discrepancies between models is due to the description of the hydrodynamics. However, once this has been suppressed, some variability between model outputs remains due to intrinsic differences between models (as numerical schemes). The numerical experiments were carried out for a perfectly conservative radionuclide and for (137)Cs (including water/sediment interactions). Model outputs for this radionuclide were also compared with measurements in water and sediments.

Improved method for the assessment of 6°Co and ¹³4Cs point sources in samples with non-homogeneous matrix.

The correlation method (Suvaila et al., 2013) is extended to the assessment of (60)Co and (134)Cs point sources embedded in non-homogeneous samples. Experimental data reveal a strong correlation between the efficiency ε(1173 keV) and the ratio of the count rate R in the sum peak of 2505 keV and in the peak of 1332 keV. The correlation pattern and the measured R(2505)/R(1332) give unbiased values for ε(1173 keV), independent of source position and sample matrix. Monte Carlo simulations for (60)Co and (134)Cs support this conclusion.

Calibration of a low-level anti-Compton underground gamma-spectrometer by experiment and Monte Carlo.

In this work we present the experimental and Monte Carlo calibration of the Compton-suppressed spectrometer of the IAEA's Environment Laboratories, Monaco. For this purpose the GESPECOR code was extended to include the specific geometry and to implement the veto logic, integrated with the coincidence summing module of the code. The simulation results are in good accordance with experimental calibrations. The code is fast and user-friendly, able to evaluate the efficiency and the correction factors for nuclides with arbitrary complex decay schemes.

Improving the assessment of activity in samples with non-uniform distribution using the sum peak count rate.

In this work a method for the evaluation of the activity when a point source containing (60)Co is located in an unknown position within a sample is developed. The method can be applied if the count rate in the 2,505 keV sum peak has an acceptable uncertainty. It is based on the correlation between the apparent efficiency for the 1,173 keV peak and the ratio of the count rate in the sum peak of 2,505 keV and in the 1,332 keV peak. The correlation was observed in the measurements of a (60)Co point source located in various positions in a soil sample. The measurements were done with a 47% efficiency n-type HPGe detector. The correlation is also observed in the measurements and simulations done with a Compton-suppressed spectrometer having a 100% n-type HPGe detector. The results obtained with the proposed method are less affected by the uncertainty of the position of the point source than the results obtained using the standard methods of activity evaluation.

Geochronology of anthropogenic radionuclides in Ribeira Bay sediments, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ribeira Bay is located approximately 130 km south of the city of Rio de Janeiro and receives discharges of liquid effluent from the Angra dos Reis nuclear power plant (NPP) site, where two pressurized water reactors are located. To test whether the presence of anthropogenic radionuclides in sediments in Ribeira Bay could be correlated to the NPP operations, we sampled seven sediment cores and determined accumulation rates and chronologies. Only one sediment core did not exhibit a superficial mixing layer; this sample was used for dating purposes. Cesium-137 and (207)Bi were observed in this sediment profile, but their presence was associated with atmospheric fall-out rather than the nearby NPP. The exponential decay of (210)Pb concentration with sediment layer depth was verified below a superficial mixing layer for all other sediment cores. Calculated accumulation rates ranged from 1.2 mm y(-1) in the inner bay to 6.2 mm y(-1) close to its entrance.

Ultra-low background measurements of decayed aerosol filters.

Aerosol samples collected on filter media were analyzed using HPGe detectors employing varying background-reduction techniques in order to experimentally evaluate the opportunity to apply ultra-low background measurement methods to samples collected, for instance, by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty International Monitoring System (IMS). In this way, realistic estimates of the impact of low-background methodology on the sensitivity obtained in systems such as the IMS were assessed. The current detectability requirement of stations in the IMS is 30 µBq/m3 of air for 140Ba, which would imply ~106 fissions per daily sample. Importantly, this is for a fresh aerosol filter. One week of decay reduces the intrinsic background from radon daughters in the sample allowing much higher sensitivity measurement of relevant isotopes, including 131I. An experiment was conducted in which decayed filter samples were measured at a variety of underground locations using Ultra-Low Background (ULB) gamma spectroscopy technology. The impacts of the decay and ULB are discussed.