title: Lead-210 and Beryllium-7 fallout rates on the southeastern coast of Brazil.
abstract: Total ²¹⁰Pb and ⁷Be fallout rates were measured on the coastal region of Niteroi, Brazil. The monthly depositional flux of ²¹⁰Pb and ⁷Be varied by a factor of 26, from 1.7 to 43.3 mBq cm⁻² year⁻¹ and ∼27, from 7.5 to 203.5 mBq cm⁻² year⁻¹, respectively. The relatively large oscillations in the depositional flux of ²¹⁰Pb at this study site were likely due to variations in air mass sources, while the ⁷Be fluctuations may be driven by a combination of weather conditions. Local geology could support the periodic high fluxes of ²¹⁰Pb from continental air masses, as shifting oceanic wind sources were affirmed by the uncorrelated ²¹⁰Pb and ⁷Be fallout activities and ⁷Be/²¹⁰Pb ratios. The ²¹⁰Pb atmospheric deposition was found to be in agreement with local sediment inventories, an important consideration in geochemical studies that estimate sedimentation processes.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Fluminense (UFF), Departamento de Geoquímica, Outeiro de Sao Joao Baptista s/n, Morro do Valonguinho Centro, Niterói, RJ, Brazil. zinosanders@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Smoak
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Cable
authors.forename: Sambasiva R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Patchineelam
authors.forename: Luciana M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000392:Air Movements; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D001608:Beryllium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D001938:Brazil; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000032:analysis*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D011868:Radioisotopes; D001608:Beryllium