Published 1991 | Version v1
Book

Radiocaesium and plutonium in Atlantic surface waters from 73oN to 72oS

  • 1. Lund Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Radiation Physics
  • 2. Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot (Poland). Inst. of Oceanology
  • 3. Risoe National Lab., Roskilde (Denmark)
  • 4. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA (United States)

Description

During the recent Swedish Antartic research Expedition (SWEDARP 89/89) samples of surface sea water were collected on board the Stena Arctica between Gothenburgh, Sweden and the Antarctic Peninsula. Radio chemical separation was performed for radiocaesium on 200 1 samples and for plutonium on samples between 200 and 1500 1. The results are compared with those of the GEOSECS expedition in the North and South Atlantic in 1972-73 and the Polish expedition in 1977-78. They show that radiocaesium has behaved rather conservatively and that the decrease in surface water concentrations during 16 years is due to physical decay. On the other hand levels of 239+240Pu have decreased by a factor of 4-5 giving a half life of 7-8 years in open Atlantic surface waters. (Author)

Part of:
Radionuclides in the study of marine processes

Additional details

Publishing Information

Publisher
Elsevier Applied Science.
Imprint Place
London (United Kingdom)
ISBN
1-85166-707-5
Imprint Title
Radionuclides in the study of marine processes
Imprint Pagination
393 p.
Journal Page Range
p. 3-11.

Conference

Title
International symposium on radionuclides in the study of marine processes.
Dates
10-13 Sep 1991.
Place
Norwich (United Kingdom).

Optional Information