top
Articles
  • OpenAccess
  • A Study of Sediments and Radioactive Particles of the Yenisei River Using a Variety of Analytical Methods  [HOAC 2014]
  • DOI: 10.4236/gep.2014.23020   PP.153 - 158
  • Author(s)
  • A. Bolsunovsky, M. Melgunov
  • ABSTRACT
  • The Yenisei River, one of the largest rivers in the world, is contaminated with artificial radionuclides released by a Russian nuclear facility producing weapon-grade plutonium, which has been in operation for many years. Examination of Yenisei River sediment samples revealed the presence of artificial radionuclides typical of radioactive discharge from the Mining-and-Chemical- Combine (MCC) nuclear facility: isotopes of europium (152Eu, 154Eu, and 155Eu), cesium (137Cs and 134Cs), 60Co, 90Sr, and transuranium elements. The MCC is also a source of radioactive particles in the Yenisei. New data on radionuclide concentrations in sediments and radioactive particles in the Yenisei River were obtained using a wide range of analytical methods. Sequential extraction performed on samples of sediment cores showed different degrees of potential environmental availability of artificial radionuclides and uranium. In a few samples, 241Am was present in the unextractable form, which may be accounted for by the presence of microparticles of the reactor fuel. These microparticles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, and their reactor origin was confirmed.

  • KEYWORDS
  • Yenisei River Sediments, Artificial and Natural Radionuclides, Radioactive Particles, Sequential Extraction, Radionuclide Composition and Speciation, Analytical Methods
  • References
  • [1]
    Bolsunovsky, A. (2009). Hot Particles in the Floodplain of the Yenisei River. In Radioactive Particles in the Environment. Springer, 111-121.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2949-2_6
    [2]
    Bolsunovsky, A. (2010). Artificial Radionuclides in Sediment of the Yenisei River. Chemistry and Ecology, 26, 401-409.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02757540.2010.504668
    [3]
    Bolsunovsky, A. (2011). Radionuclide Speciation in Sediments of the Yenisei River. Radioprotection, 46, S195-S198.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/radiopro/20116457s
    [4]
    Bolsunovsky, A., & Bondareva, L. (2007). Actinides and Other Radionuclides in Sediments and Submerged Plants of the Yenisei River. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 444-445, 495-499.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2007.01.146
    [5]
    Bolsunovsky, A., & Dementyev, D. (2010). Sediments of the Yenisei River: Monitoring of Radionuclide Levels and Estimation of Sedimentation Rates. IAHS Publ., No337, 143-148.
    [6]
    Bolsunovsky, A. Ya., & Tcherkezian, V. O. (2001). Hot Particles of the Yenisei River Flood Plain, Russia. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 57, 167-174.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0265-931X(01)00021-2
    [7]
    Bolsunovsky, A., Ermakov, A., & Sobolev, A. (2007). New Data on Transuranium Elements in the Ecosystem of the Yenisei River Floodplain. Radiochimica Acta, 95, 547-552.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1524/ract.2007.95.9.547
    [8]
    Bolsunovsky, A. Ya., Ermakov, A. I., Myasoedov, B. F., Novikov, A. P., & Sobolev, A. I. (2002). New Data on the Content of Transuranic Elements in Bottom Sediments of the Yenisei River. Transactions Dokl Akad Nauk, 387, 233-236.
    [9]
    Chuguevskii, A. V., Sukhorukov, F. V., Melgunov, M. S., Makarova, I. V., & Titov, A. T. (2010). “Hot” Particles of the Yenisei River: Radioisotope Composition, Structure, and Behavior in Natural Conditions. Doklady Earth Sciences, 430, 51-53.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S1028334X10010113
    [10]
    Klemt, E., Spasova, Y., Zibold, G., & Bolsunovsky, A. (2002). Deposition of Artificial Radionuclides in Sediments of the River Ye-nisei. In P. Strand, T. Jolle, & A. Sand (Eds.), Environmental Radioactivity in the Arctic & Antarctic (pp. 67-70). Norway: Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority.
    [11]
    Semizhon, T., R?llin, S., Spasova, Y., & Klemt, E. (2010). Transport and Distribution of Artificial Gamma-Emitting Radio-nuclides in the River Yenisei and Its Sediment. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 101, 385-402.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2010.02.012

Engineering Information Institute is the member of/source content provider to

http://www.scirp.org http://www.hanspub.org/ http://www.crossref.org/index.html http://www.oalib.com/ http://www.ebscohost.com/ http://www.proquest.co.uk/en-UK/aboutus/default.shtml http://ip-science.thomsonreuters.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jlresults.cgi?PC=MASTER&Full=journal%20of%20Bioequivalence%20%26%20Bioavailability http://publishers.indexcopernicus.com/index.php