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Environment Radioactivity Analysis, Monitoring and Tracer Applications

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Analytical Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 14462

Special Issue Editors

Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
Interests: radionuclides; environmental radioactivity; method development; tracer studies
State Research Institute, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: application of radionuclides in tracer studies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We live in a world that is surrounded by radioactivity. Radionuclides occur in our environment either via natural production on Earth or human activities including nuclear weapons testing, nuclear power plants and accidents and medical and industrial production of radioactive materials. The development of reliable and effective analytical methods for determining the contents of radionuclides in environmental compartments is pivotal for radiation protection of the public and the environment. Thereby, environmental monitoring programs are carried out worldwide to verify compliance with regulatory requirements on discharge limits of radioactive substances and provide data for assessing radiological exposure to populations and the ecological system. Nowadays, anthropogenic pollution and climate change are currently experiencing clearly increasing trends in environmental and social effects, and their foreseeable consequences could lead to profound changes in ecosystem functioning, well-being and human health. Radionuclides naturally occuring as well as those introduced due to human activities can be applied as tools for investigation of terristial, marine and atmospheric phenomena in order to gain new knowledge about processes in the changing environment. The application of radionuclides as tracers can also be useful in the development of modern nanotechnologies capable of effectively reducing environmental pollution and providing climate change mitigation.

Researchers working in the environmental radioactivity field and related fields are cordially invited to contribute original research papers or reviews to this Special Issue of Molecules, associated with all aspects of method development for environmental radioassays, observations in environmental radioactivity monitoring and the environmental applications of radionuclides as tracers.

Dr. Jixin Qiao
Dr. Galina Lujanienė
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • anthropogenic and natural radionuclides
  • environmental radioactivity
  • analytical methods
  • environmental monitoring
  • tracer studies

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

10 pages, 453 KiB  
Article
Study of Polonium (210Po) Activity Concentration in Fruit Wines Derived from Different Locations in Poland
by Paweł Rudnicki-Velasquez, Alicja Boryło, Marcin Kaczor, Jarosław Wieczorek and Jarosława Rutkowska
Molecules 2023, 28(1), 438; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28010438 - 03 Jan 2023
Viewed by 2250
Abstract
This study aimed at assessing the activity concentration and the annual effective dose of polonium-210 (210Po) in fruit wines derived from four locations in Poland (Warmian–Masurian, Podlaskie, Lubelskie and Małopolskie voivodeships). The fruit wines differed significantly (p < 0.05) in [...] Read more.
This study aimed at assessing the activity concentration and the annual effective dose of polonium-210 (210Po) in fruit wines derived from four locations in Poland (Warmian–Masurian, Podlaskie, Lubelskie and Małopolskie voivodeships). The fruit wines differed significantly (p < 0.05) in 210Po activity depending on the production site, with the Małopolskie site having the highest activity (61.4–221.4 mBq/L) and the Podlaskie having the lowest (3.5–97.1 mBq/L). The site differentiation was due to environmental conditions—soil parameters (uranium concentration), precipitations and terrain characteristics, e.g., the proximity of the lakes. The increased activity concentration of 210Po in samples from Małopolska compared with the other sites probably derived from the environment polluted with aqueous wastes and particulate air pollution. The annual effective dose due to the ingestion of fruit wines ranged from 0.112 to 1.214 µSv/year. These levels of exposure are safe according to the WHO criterion (0.1 mSv per year for ingestion) and to the IAEA reference level for public exposure including food (1 mSv per year). Summing up, the data obtained provide information on the activity concentration of 210Po in fruit wines and increase databases on the natural radioactivity of foodstuffs. Future work is needed to examine 210Po activity in samples from all vineyard regions in Poland. Full article
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20 pages, 5186 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Graphene Oxide-Maghemite-Chitosan Composites for the Adsorption of Europium Ions from Aqueous Solutions
by Galina Lujanienė, Raman Novikau, Edith Flora Joel, Karolina Karalevičiūtė, Sergej Šemčuk, Kęstutis Mažeika, Martynas Talaikis, Vidas Pakštas, Saulius Tumėnas, Jonas Mažeika and Kęstutis Jokšas
Molecules 2022, 27(22), 8035; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27228035 - 19 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1344
Abstract
The adsorption of Eu(III) on composites synthesised from graphene oxide (GO), maghemite (MGH), and chitosan (CS) has been studied using different approaches. The physicochemical and morphological characteristics of the composites GO-MGH, GO-CS, GO-MGH-CS I, II, and III were determined by XRD, Mössbauer spectroscopy, [...] Read more.
The adsorption of Eu(III) on composites synthesised from graphene oxide (GO), maghemite (MGH), and chitosan (CS) has been studied using different approaches. The physicochemical and morphological characteristics of the composites GO-MGH, GO-CS, GO-MGH-CS I, II, and III were determined by XRD, Mössbauer spectroscopy, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and TEM. According to the results of batch experiments, the maximum experimental adsorption capacity was 52, 54, 25, 103, and 102 mg/g for GO-MGH, GO-CS, GO-MGH-CS I, II, and III, respectively. The data obtained are in better agreement with the Langmuir, pseudo-second-order, and pseudo-first-order models only for GO-MGH. Thus, the adsorption of Eu(III) on the composites was a favourable, monolayer, and occurred at homogeneous sites. The nature of adsorption is chemical and, in the case of GO-MGH, physical. Tests of the composites in natural waters showed a high removal efficiency for Eu(III), Pu(IV), and Am(III), ranging from 74 to 100%. The ANFIS model has quite good predictive ability, as shown by the values for R2, MSE, SSE, and ARE. The GO-MGH-CS composites with the high adsorption capacity could be promising candidates for the removal of Eu(III) and the pre-concentration of Pu(IV) and Am(III) from natural waters. Full article
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8 pages, 890 KiB  
Article
Radium and Lead Radioisotopes Composition of Sediment and Its Biogeochemical Implication in Polymetallic Nodule Area of Clario-Clipperton Zone
by Feng Lin, Cai Lin, Wen Yu, Xiuwu Sun and Hui Lin
Molecules 2022, 27(16), 5061; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27165061 - 09 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1108
Abstract
Radioactivity levels of 210Pb and 226Ra were detected in a sediment core obtained using a multi-corer from the polymetallic nodule area inside the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a contract area of the China Ocean Mineral Resources Association (COMR) in the eastern Pacific [...] Read more.
Radioactivity levels of 210Pb and 226Ra were detected in a sediment core obtained using a multi-corer from the polymetallic nodule area inside the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a contract area of the China Ocean Mineral Resources Association (COMR) in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The profile of excess 210Pb (210Pbex) shows that the specific activity of 210Pbex has three parts with different distributions at depths of 0–16 cm (I), 17–36 cm (II), and 37–48 cm (III). When the I section of nonlocal mixing was excluded, using a steady-state diffusion mode, the bioturbation coefficients of the core were estimated to be 24.2 cm2/a at 17–36 cm deep and 5.9 cm2/a at 37–48 cm deep, which were greater compared to previously published results. This is most likely owing to bioturbations caused by various organism species in the two sections. Full article
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9 pages, 978 KiB  
Article
Measurement of 90Sr in Marine Biological Samples
by Fangfang Deng and Feng Lin
Molecules 2022, 27(12), 3730; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27123730 - 09 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1374
Abstract
Strontium-90 (90Sr) is one of the most hazardous radionuclides, and it contributes to radiation exposure by ingestion. The routine determination of 90Sr in marine biological samples is highly desirable given the development of the nuclear power industry. A fast, simple, [...] Read more.
Strontium-90 (90Sr) is one of the most hazardous radionuclides, and it contributes to radiation exposure by ingestion. The routine determination of 90Sr in marine biological samples is highly desirable given the development of the nuclear power industry. A fast, simple, and low-detection-limit method was developed for the measurement of 90Sr in marine biological samples based on determining 90Y by means of coprecipitation and solvent extraction with bis-2-ethylhexyl-phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in n-heptane. The interfering 210Bi is removed using Bi2S3 precipitation. The separation and purification of eight samples per day can be accomplished through this method. The detection limit of 90Sr for this method is 0.10 Bq/kg (ash weight). The radiochemical procedure was validated by fitting the decay curve of the sample source and by the determination of 90Sr standards. Full article
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11 pages, 3415 KiB  
Article
Estimation of the Annual Effective Dose Due to the Ingestion of 210Pb and 210Po in Crops from a Site of Coal Mining and Processing in Southwest China
by Chenxiao Wang, Qifan Wu, Ziqiang Pan, Senlin Liu, Zhonggang Cao and Yilin Yu
Molecules 2022, 27(7), 2112; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27072112 - 25 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1462
Abstract
The exploitation of mineral resources may cause the environmental release of radionuclides and their introduction in the human trophic chain, affecting public health in the short and long term. A case study of the environmental radiation impact from coal mining and germanium processing [...] Read more.
The exploitation of mineral resources may cause the environmental release of radionuclides and their introduction in the human trophic chain, affecting public health in the short and long term. A case study of the environmental radiation impact from coal mining and germanium processing was carried out in southwest China. The coal mines contain germanium and uranium and have been exploited for more than 40 years. The farmlands around the site of the coal mining and germanium processing have been contaminated by the solid waste and mine water to some extent since then. Samples of crops were collected from contaminated farmlands in the research area. The research area covers a radius of 5 km, in which there are two coal mines. 210Pb and 210Po were analyzed as the key radionuclides during the monitoring program. The average activity concentrations of 210Pb and 210Po in the crops were 1.38 and 1.32 Bq/kg in cereals, 4.07 and 2.19 Bq/kg in leafy vegetables and 1.63 and 1.32 Bq/kg in root vegetables. The annual effective doses due to the ingestion of 210Pb and 210Po in consumed crops were estimated for adult residents living in the research area. The average annual effective dose was 0.336 mSv/a, the minimum was 0.171 mSv/a and the maximum was 0.948 mSv/a. The results show that the crops grown on contaminated farmland contained an enhanced level of radioactivity concentration. The ingestion doses of local residents in the research area were significantly higher than the average level of 0.112 mSv/a in China, and the world average level of 0.042 mSv/a through 210Pb and 210Po in crop intake, respectively. Full article
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Review

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14 pages, 902 KiB  
Review
Impact of the Fukushima Accident on 3H and 14C Environmental Levels: A Review of Ten Years of Investigation
by Jakub Kaizer, Ivan Kontuľ and Pavel P. Povinec
Molecules 2023, 28(6), 2548; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28062548 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2186
Abstract
The investigation of the impact of the Fukushima accident is still going on although more than ten years have passed since the disaster. The main goal of this paper was to summarize the results of tritium and radiocarbon determinations in different environmental samples, [...] Read more.
The investigation of the impact of the Fukushima accident is still going on although more than ten years have passed since the disaster. The main goal of this paper was to summarize the results of tritium and radiocarbon determinations in different environmental samples, possibly connected with the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. A document containing compiled data may serve as a solid basis for further research in the selected fields. To accomplish such effort, we went through dozens of relevant published papers, reporting 3H and 14C activity concentrations in precipitations, groundwater, seawater, river systems, tree rings, and, in some more extraordinary samples, such as herbaceous plants or debris from the damaged reactor buildings. As the referenced results would not be obtainable without adequate analytical techniques, the most common methods for routine measurement of tritium and radiocarbon concentrations are discussed as well. We believe that the correct identification of the affected environmental compartments could help quantify the released 3H and 14C activities and track their following fate, which could be especially important for plans to discharge contaminated water from the FDNPP in the upcoming years. Full article
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20 pages, 1289 KiB  
Review
Recent Development on Determination of Low-Level 90Sr in Environmental and Biological Samples: A Review
by Zhen Zhou, Hong Ren, Lei Zhou, Peng Wang, Xiaoming Lou, Hua Zou and Yiyao Cao
Molecules 2023, 28(1), 90; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28010090 - 22 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1631
Abstract
In the context of the rapid development of the world’s nuclear power industry, it is vital to establish reliable and efficient radioanalytical methods to support sound environment and food radioactivity monitoring programs and a cost-effective waste management strategy. As one of the most [...] Read more.
In the context of the rapid development of the world’s nuclear power industry, it is vital to establish reliable and efficient radioanalytical methods to support sound environment and food radioactivity monitoring programs and a cost-effective waste management strategy. As one of the most import fission products generated during human nuclear activities, 90Sr has been widely determined based on different analytical techniques for routine radioactivity monitoring, emergency preparedness and radioactive waste management. Herein, we summarize and critically review analytical methods developed over the last few decades for the determination of 90Sr in environmental and biological samples. Approaches applied in different steps of the analysis including sample preparation, chemical separation and detection are systematically discussed. The recent development of modern materials for 90Sr concentration and advanced instruments for rapid 90Sr measurement are also addressed. Full article
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33 pages, 774 KiB  
Review
Determination of 241Am in Environmental Samples: A Review
by Haitao Zhang, Xiaolin Hou, Jixin Qiao and Jianfeng Lin
Molecules 2022, 27(14), 4536; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27144536 - 15 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1873
Abstract
The determination of 241Am in the environment is of importance in monitoring its release and assessing its environmental impact and radiological risk. This paper aims to give an overview about the recent developments and the state-of-art analytical methods for 241Am determination [...] Read more.
The determination of 241Am in the environment is of importance in monitoring its release and assessing its environmental impact and radiological risk. This paper aims to give an overview about the recent developments and the state-of-art analytical methods for 241Am determination in environmental samples. Thorough discussions are given in this paper covering a wide range of aspects, including sample pre-treatment and pre-concentration methods, chemical separation techniques, source preparation, radiometric and mass spectrometric measurement techniques, speciation analyses, and tracer applications. The paper focuses on some hyphenated separation methods based on different chromatographic resins, which have been developed to achieve high analytical efficiency and sample throughput for the determination of 241Am. The performances of different radiometric and mass spectrometric measurement techniques for 241Am are evaluated and compared. Tracer applications of 241Am in the environment, including speciation analyses of 241Am, and applications in nuclear forensics are also discussed. Full article
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