A new Certified Reference Material for radionuclides in Irish sea sediment (IAEA-385).

A new Certified Reference Material (CRM) for radionuclides in sediment (IAEA-385) is described and the results of the certification process are presented. Eleven radionuclides ((40)K, (137)Cs, (226)Ra, (228)Ra, (230)Th, (232)Th, (234)U, (238)U, (238)Pu, (239+240)Pu and (241)Am) have been certified and information mass activities with 95% confidence intervals are given for seven other radionuclides ((90)Sr, (210)Pb((210)Po), (235)U, (239)Pu, (240)Pu and (241)Pu). Results for less frequently reported radionuclides ((60)Co, (99)Tc, (134)Cs, (155)Eu, (224)Ra and (239)Np) and information on some activity and mass ratios are also reported. The CRM can be used for quality assurance/quality control of the analysis of radionuclides in sediment samples, for the development and validation of analytical methods and for training purposes.

Carrot infection by Alternaria radicina in field conditions and results of laboratory tests.

Carrot black rot caused by the fungus Alternaria radicina (Meier) Drechsler et Eddy, the economically important disease of carrot (Daucus carota L.). Research was carried out in 2004 and 2005 in order to establish correlation between plant infestation in the field and laboratory experiments. To determine the incidence and severity of the disease in mature crop, a 5-degree scale was used, where 1 meant no visible disease symptoms and 5 meant total foliage infestation. Plants were rated individually and the disease index was calculated. Fungus pathogenicity in laboratory conditions was determined using a petiole assay and a root disc assay. The petiole assay was conducted during the vegetation period; basal parts of petioles detached from fully developed carrot leaves were put in contact with the growing A. radicina mycelium. The root disc assay was conducted during storage of carrot roots; root discs were inoculated with toothpicks overgrown by A. radicina mycelium. The isolate of A. radicina was pathogenic to petioles and carrot discs. Differences in the reaction of the examined cultivars in the field and laboratory experiments were revealed. However, no significant correlation between plant infestation in the field and the results of laboratory experiments were observed.

Differences in editing of mitochondrial nad3 transcripts from CMS and fertile carrots.

A high level of the nucleotide sequence conservation was found for mitochondrial nad3 gene of carrot. Three silent nucleotide substitutions differentiate nad3 open reading frames from cytoplasmic male sterile and male fertile carrots. All these differences are preserved on the RNA level. Partial and silent editing also distinguished both carrots. Three of the C to U conversions were specific to the fertile line. In the two examined carrot lines editing did not affect the mode of alteration of encoded amino acids.

Contamination of settling ponds and rivers as a result of discharge of radium-bearing waters from Polish coal mines.

Saline waters from underground coal mines in Poland often contain natural radioactive isotopes, mainly 226Ra from the uranium decay series and 228Ra from the thorium series. Approximately 40% of the total amount of radium remains underground as radioactive deposits, but 225 MBq of 226Ra and 400 MBq of 228Ra are released daily into the rivers along with the other mine effluents from all Polish coal mines. Technical measures such as inducing the precipitation of radium in gobs, decreasing the amount of meteoric inflow water into underground workings, etc. have been undertaken in several coal mines, and as a result of these measures, the total amount of radium released to the surface waters has diminished by about 60% during the last 5-6 years. Mine water can have a severe impact on the natural environment, mainly due to its salinity. However, associated high levels of radium concentration in river waters, bottom sediments and vegetation have also been observed. Sometimes radium concentrations in rivers exceed 0.7 kBq/m3, which is the permitted level for waste waters under Polish law. The extensive investigations described here were carried out for all coal mines and on this basis the total radium balance in the effluents has been calculated. Measurements in the vicinity of mine settling ponds and in rivers have given us an opportunity to study radium behaviour in river waters and to assess the degree of contamination. Solid waste materials with enhanced natural radioactivity have been produced in huge amounts in the power and coal industries in Poland. As a result of the combustion of coal in power plants, low-radioactive waste materials are produced, with 226Ra concentration seldom exceeding a few hundreds of Bq/kg. A different situation is observed in coal mines, where, as a result of precipitation of radium from radium-bearing waters, highly radioactive deposits are formed. Sometimes the radioactivity of such materials is extremely high; precipitates from coal mines may have radium concentrations of 400,000 Bq/kg--equivalent to 3% uranium ore. Usually, such deposition takes place underground, but sometimes co-precipitation of radium with barium takes place on the surface, in settling ponds and in rivers. Therefore management of solid waste with technologically enhanced natural radioactivity (TENR) is a very important subject.