Plutonium and thorium isotopes in the bottom sediments of some Mazurian Lakes (Poland)

J W Mietelski; Jolanta Wojtycza; Marek Zalewski; Jacek Kapała; Ewa Tomankiewicz; Paweł Gaca

doi:10.1007/s10967-018-6300-8

Plutonium and thorium isotopes in the bottom sediments of some Mazurian Lakes (Poland)

J Radioanal Nucl Chem. 2018;318(3):2389-2399. doi: 10.1007/s10967-018-6300-8. Epub 2018 Nov 2.

Authors

J W Mietelski¹, Jolanta Wojtycza², Marek Zalewski³, Jacek Kapała³, Ewa Tomankiewicz¹, Paweł Gaca⁴

Affiliations

¹ 1Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, Poland.
² Marshal Office of the Małopolska Region, Racławicka 56, 30-017 Kraków, Poland.
³ 3Department of Biophysics, Medical Academy of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2a, 15-089 Białystok, Poland.
⁴ GAU-Radioanalytical Laboratories, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, UK.

Abstract

Presented are results on the Pu and Th isotopes activity concentration found in the upper part of bottom sediments collected from a deep part of 29 lakes in N-E Poland by diving in 2000. Analyses of Pu isotopic ratios allowed for the discussion of Pu origin. Maximum percentage of ^239+240Pu activity from Chernobyl fallout was 24%. Surface deposition of ^239+240Pu was calculated. No relationship was found between the plutonium and main chemical matrix components of sample nor with the trophic status of the lake. Pu activities were weakly correlated with measured previously ¹³⁷Cs activities.

Keywords: Chernobyl; Global fallout; Mazurian Lakes; Pu in environment; Radionuclides in lake sediments.