Lead-210 and Polonium-210 in Environmental Samples in Northern Finland Based on Archived Analyses Data

Transcription

1 Lead-210 and Polonium-210 in Environmental Samples in Northern Finland Based on Archived Analyses Data Jussi Paatero 1 & Ari-Pekka Leppänen 2 1. Finnish Meteorological Institute 2. STUK Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority

2 Between 1979 and 1989 STUK s Regional laboratory in northern Finland analysed polonium-210 and lead-210 from environmental samples using the classical method: spontaneous deposition of polonium onto silver disks followed by alpha spectrometry.

3 Three subsequent depositions were made, the first to obtain the 210 Po activity, the second to verify the quantitative deposition during the first deposition, and the third one to obtain the 210 Pb activity.

4 This dataset was, however, never processed and published. In this work we retrieved archived 210 Pb and 210 Po analysis reports and digitized them. Thus we obtained a dataset concerning the 210 Pb and 210 Po content of various environmental sample matrices in northern Finland.

5 Photo: Markku Mäkelä Original material

6 Analysis report 1/3

7 Analysis report 2/3

8 Analysis report 3/3

9 Altogether, Po and 210 Pb analysis reports were processed. With the current prices the value of these analyses would be euros without VAT! From these, 578 samples were matrices not used as human food items

10 Sample matrices 1: - Dolomitic lime - B and N rich fertilisers - Fly ash

11 Results 1, Lead-210: - Dolomitic lime, 2 samples, 3.8 and 4.7 Bq/kg - B and N rich fertilisers, 6 samples, average 37 Bq/kg ( Bq/kg) - Fly ash, 12 samples, 600 Bq/kg ( Bq/kg) Results 1, Polonium-210: B and N rich fertilisers, 2 samples, 43 and 80 Bq/kg, act. ratio 0.41 and 0.74 Fly ash, 11 samples, average 690 Bq/kg, act.ratio

12 R. Mattsson, 1998

13 Sample matrices 2: - Mineral soil - Peat soil - Fresh water sediment - Pond water - Phosphate ore

14 Results 2, Lead-210: - Mineral soil, 116 samples, average 57 Bq/kg (range Bq/kg) - Peat soil, 110 samples, average 83 Bq/kg (range Bq/kg) - Fresh water sediment, 28 samples, average 497 Bq/kg (range Bq/kg) - Pond water, 2 samples, average 1.1 Bq/kg (range Bq/kg) Results 2, Polonium-210: - Mineral soil, average 3.3 Bq/kg (range Bq/kg), avg. act. ratio Peat soil, average 73 Bq/kg (range Bq/kg), avg. act. ratio Fresh water sediment, average 5100 Bg/kg (range Bq/kg), avg. act. ratio 23.7

15 Phosphate ore, Sokli, Eastern Lapland Map: The National Land Survey of Finland

16 Lapin kansa Soklin malmin radioaktiivisuus hermostuttaa Paliskuntain yhdistystä Yara myönsi: Fosforimalmissa radioaktiivisuutta Nuoret poroperheet huolissaan, kalastajat vastustavat jyrkästi; Nuortin vesistön tuho.

17 A huge mine, Sokli, will destroy the unique wilderness

18 Phosphate ore, Sokli, Eastern Lapland Sample type Sampling Pb-210 date Bq/kg Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe Soklin malmirouhe

19 Sample matrices 3: Silvery sedge (Harmaasara, Carex canescens) Cloudberry leaves (Hillan lehtiä, Rubus chamaemorus) Willowherb (Horsma, Chamerion/Epilobium angustifolium) Bilberry twigs (Juolukan varpuja, Vaccinium uliginosum) Lichen (Jäkälä, Cladonia Sp.) Arboreal lichens (Naava/luppo, Bryoria Sp./Alectoria Sp.) Haircap moss (Karhunsammal, Polytrichum Sp.) Juniper tops (Katajanlatvoja, Juniperus communis) Tea-leaved willow (Kiiltopajun lehtiä, Salix phylicifolia) Grass (Luonnonheinä) Wood horsetail (Metsäkorte, Equisetum sylvaticum) Wavy hair-grass (Metsälauha, Deschampsia flexuosa)

20 Sample matrices 4: Pine needles (Männynneulasia, Pinus sylvestris) Marsh horsetail (Suokorte, Equisetum palustre) Timothy (Timotei, Phleum pratense) Aquatic moss (Näkinsammal, Fontinalis Sp.) Downy willow leaves (Pohjanpajun lehti, Salix lapponum) Bottle sedge (Pullosara, Carex rostrata) White moss (Rahkasammal, Sphagnum Sp.) Boreal bog sedge (Riippasara, Carex magellanica) Hare's-tail cottongrass (Tupasvilla, Eriophorum vaginatum) Dwarf birch (Vaivaiskoivun lehti, Betula nana)

21 Results 3: Bq/kg d.w. Pb-210 Po-210 Act. Ratio Silvery sedge Cloudberry leaves Willowherb Bilberry twigs Haircap moss Juniper tops Tea-leaved willow Grass Wood horsetail Wavy hair-grass

22 Results 3 (continued): Bq/kg d.w. Pb-210 Po-210 Act. Ratio This work Lichen 460 Arboreal lichens Solatie et al Lichen Arboreal lichens Kauranen & Miettinen 1969 Lichen

23 Results 4: Bq/kg d.w. Pb-210 Po-210 Act. Ratio Pine needles Marsh horsetail Timothy Aquatic moss Downy willow leaves Bottle sedge White moss Boreal bog sedge Hare's-tail cottongrass Dwarf birch leaves

24 Conclusions Data rescued Data analysis continues Importance of metadata

25 Acknowledgements This work was accomplished within the project Food and human security in the Norwegian, Russian and Finnish border regions: linking local industries, communities and socio-economic impacts. The project is funded by EU/Kolarctic ENPI CBC programme managed by the Regional Council of Lapland