Levels of C-14 in the terrestrial environment in the vicinity of two European nuclear power plants

Summary, in English

Radiocarbon is produced in all types of nuclear reactors. Most of the C-14 released into the environment is in the form of gaseous emissions. Recent data on the C-14 concentration found in terrestrial samples taken in the vicinity of nuclear power plants in Romania and Lithuania are presented. We found increased C-14 levels in the surroundings of both power plants. At the Romanian power plant Cernavoda, we found excess levels of C-14 in grass within a distance of about 1000 in, the highest C-14 specific activity being 311 Bq/kg C (approximately 28% above the contemporary C-14 background) found at a distance of 200 in from the point of release (nearest sampling location). At the Lithuanian power plant Ignalina, samples of willow, pine, and spruce showed a C-14 excess of similar magnitude, while significantly higher values were found in moss samples. The samples were analyzed at the accelerator mass spectrometry facility in Lund, Sweden.

• Author: Åsa Magnusson; Kristina Stenström; Göran Skog; D Adliene; G Adlys; Ragnar Hellborg; A Olariu; Mohamad Zakaria; Christopher Rääf; Sören Mattsson
• Department/s: Nuclear physics; Quaternary Sciences; LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies); Medical Radiation Physics, Malmö
• Publishing year: 2004
• Language: English
• Pages: 863-868
• Publication/Series: Radiocarbon
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 2
• Links: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/arizona/rdc/2004/00000046/00000002/art00035
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Arizona Board of Regents (University of Arizona)
• Topic: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging
• Status: Published
• Research group: Medical Radiation Physics, Malmö; AMS, Nuclear Physics
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0033-8222