Artificial radioactive contamination of sediments along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of 90Sr, 238Pu, 239,240Pu and 241Am were determined in 12 sediment samples, collected from the bed of the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast during 1996-1997. The samples were dissolved using a microwave digestion technique which left the refractory part of the samples undissolved. Part of the samples were also dissolved totally by alkaline fusion. The results obtained after radiochemical separations and measurement of the radionuclides by the two dissolution methods were compared recommending the optimum method. The radioactive contamination of the investigated sector in 1996-1997 is compared with the results obtained for the same locations in 1994-1995 reported in previous papers. (author)