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Göran Skog

Göran Skog

Senior lecturer

Göran Skog

14CO2 dispersion around two PWR nuclear power plants in Brazil.

Author

  • C M Dias
  • Kristina Stenström
  • I L B Leao
  • R V Santos
  • I G Nicoli
  • Göran Skog
  • Peter Ekström
  • R da Silveira Correa

Summary, in English

Atmospheric air samples were taken within 3 km from power plants encompassing five different distances and wind directions. Samples were taken between 2002 and 2005 aiming to evaluate the environmental C-14 enrichment due to the operation of Brazilian nuclear power plants. The sampling system consisted of a pump connected to a trapping column filled with a 3 M NaOH solution. The trapped C-14 by using a single stage accelerator mass spectrometry (SSAMS). CO2 was analyzed for All sampling sites revealed measurable C-14 excess values. The maximum excesses were of 15 and 14 mBq/m(3) for sampling sites placed at NE of the power plants, which is the main wind direction in the area. The mean excesses values were 12 mBq/m(3) to the NE direction, 8 mBq/m to the E, 10 mBq/m to the N, 8 mBq/m(3) to the WNW and 7 mBq/m(3) to the W direction (increasing distances from NE to W). Compared to other Light Water Reactors (LWR) data, these means' values are significantly higher than the average worldwide reported value of 3 mBq/m(3). Available data indicate that the observed values are not related to C-14 emission by the power plants vent stack. Other factors, such as topography, seem to have an important role because it affects wind dispersion thus favoring C-14 accumulation in the sampled area. Moreover, the high elevations around the power plants enhance the chances to measure high values of C-14 since the plume can be intercepted before it is drawn to the ground. Modeling of the plume has shown that its dispersion does not follow a Gaussian model and that agreement between atmospheric CO2 and vegetation C-14 activities occurs only for sampling sites placed at NE of the power plants. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Department/s

  • Nuclear physics
  • Quaternary Sciences

Publishing year

2009

Language

English

Pages

574-580

Publication/Series

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

Volume

100

Issue

7

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Environmental Sciences

Keywords

  • Atmospheric air
  • C-14
  • Nuclear power plant
  • PWR
  • Dispersion
  • plume
  • Gaussian

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1879-1700