129I measurements in lake water for an estimate of regional 129I depositions.
Estimates of (129)I depositions from (129)I releases of reprocessing plants are so far based on measurements of soil and rain water samples. Because (129)I concentrations in these samples show a highly temporal and spatial variability, the (129)I deposition values deduced from single measurements cannot be seen as representative for a larger area. Here it is proposed to use lake water as an archive for former (129)I depositions, to overcome these limitations. If the limnological parameters of any lake are known, the local (129)I deposition flux can be deduced which is temporally averaged over the flushing time, and spatially averaged over the catchment area of the lake. Samples were collected from various European lakes and from Lake Baikal (Russia). The (129)I concentration in these samples was measured by means of accelerator mass spectrometry, and values between 0.3 and 8.1x10(8) at/l were obtained. Deduced (129)I deposition fluxes averaged over the flushing times of the lakes range from 0.3 to 9.3x10(12) at/m(2) y. The (129)I deposition fluence measured for Lake Baikal is attributed predominantly to releases from the former Soviet reprocessing facilities Chelyabinsk, Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk, while the (129)I deposition fluxes deduced for all other lakes are attributed to releases from the European reprocessing activities at Sellafield, Marcoule and La Hague.
Reithmeier
H
H
Physics Department E15, TU München, D-85748 Garching, Germany. reithmei@ph.tum.de
Lazarev
V
V
Rühm
W
W
Nolte
E
E
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005060:Europe; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis*; D007455:Iodine / Q000032:analysis; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011891:Rain / Q000737:chemistry; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D007455:Iodine