title: Excess of polonium-210 activity in the surface urban atmosphere. Part 2: origin of ²¹⁰Po excess.
abstract: The presence of significant (210)Po activity, unsupported by its grandparent radionuclide (210)Pb, in the surface atmosphere of industrialized regions can originate from human technical activities. In urban air, the activity ratio of (210)Po to (210)Pb might increase as a result of natural condensation and coagulation processes of relatively volatile (210)Po-containing species emitted during coal combustion processes. The presence of excess of (210)Po cannot be explained by its in-growth from radioactive decay of (210)Bi. About 50% of (210)Po radionuclide released during coal combustion processes can be emitted into air as gaseous or ultrafine products. Subsequently, these products are quickly attached to the surface of fine particles suspended in the air. As a result, an excess of (210)Po activity in aerosols has been reported. However, in this manner, As much as 11 GBq of (210)Po per year can enter the urban air from the local coal power plants in Lodz city, Poland.
authors.affiliation: Technical University of Lodz, Institute of Applied Radiation Chemistry, Wróblewskiego 15, 90-924 Łódź, Poland. mdlugosz@mitr.p.lodz.pl.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Długosz-Lisiecka
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D011044:Poland; D011059:Polonium / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D011059:Polonium