title: Natural and artificial radionuclide activity concentrations in surface sediments of Izmit Bay, Turkey.
abstract: Surface sediments from the north-eastern coast of the Marmara Sea, Turkey's most industrialized coastal region, were enriched with radioisotopes from the Chernobyl explosion in 1986. Caesium-137 in these sediments is also thought to originate from one former paper mill located nearby that used wood contaminated by Chernobyl explosion-originated (137)Cs for paper production. The average activity concentration of the (137)Cs was 21 Bq kg(-1), while naturally occurring radioisotopes, i.e. (40)K, (226)Ra, and (228)Ra, were 568, 18 and 24 Bq kg(-1), respectively, in surface sediments. The natural radionuclide activities reached their highest levels near petrochemical, phosphate and fertilizer processing facilities. Average (137)Cs activities were generally up to ten times higher than in Middle Eastern marine sediments and lower than those in Northern European sediments.
authors: Kocaeli University, Science and Arts Faculty, Department of Biology, 41300 Izmit, Kocaeli, Turkey. Electronic address: halim.ergul@kocaeli.edu.tr.
authors: Halim Aytekin
authors: HA
authors: Ergül
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Belivermiş
authors: Önder
authors: Ö
authors: Kılıç
authors: Sayhan
authors: S
authors: Topcuoğlu
authors: Yavuz
authors: Y
authors: Çotuk
mesh_terms: D061006:Bays / Q000737:chemistry*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D014421:Turkey; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: (137)Cs; Izmit Bay; Marine sediment; Marmara Sea; Radionuclide