Beryllium-7 and (210)Pb atmospheric deposition measured in moss and dependence on cumulative precipitation

Sci Total Environ. 2016 Jan 15:541:941-948. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.083. Epub 2015 Nov 11.

Abstract

This paper focuses on analysis of the time series of (7)Be and (210)Pb activity measured in moss, and the amount, as well as duration of precipitation, to gain a better understanding of the possible relationships between airborne radionuclide deposition and precipitation. Here we consider whether the amount of these airborne radionuclides in moss samples is a cumulative measure of radionuclide deposition and decay, and a new approach for analyses of the relationships between precipitation and moss activity concentrations is suggested. Through these analyses it was shown that comparison of cumulative activity measured at one location using moss, normalized by values of cumulative amount or duration of precipitation, showed different regimes of airborne radionuclide deposition.

Keywords: Airborne radionuclides; Biomonitors; Low-background gamma spectroscopy; Natural tracers; Precipitation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Beryllium / analysis*
  • Bryophyta / chemistry*
  • Lead Radioisotopes / analysis*
  • Radiation Monitoring / methods*
  • Rain

Substances

  • Lead Radioisotopes
  • Beryllium