A one-dimensional dispersion model for radionuclides in the marine environment applied to the Chernobyl fallout over the northern Baltic Sea

Ribbe, Joachim and Muller-Navarra, Sylvin H. and Nies, Hartmut (1991) A one-dimensional dispersion model for radionuclides in the marine environment applied to the Chernobyl fallout over the northern Baltic Sea. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 14 (1). pp. 55-72. ISSN 0265-931X

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Abstract

The Baltic Sea was the marine ecosystem most affected by Chernobyl fallout. The occurrence of 'hot spots' at the water surface was characteristic of the contamination. A one-dimensional vertical dispersion model has been used to explain the distribution of the radionuclides, cesium-137 and cesium-134, in the water column of the central Bothnian Sea for the first six months after the contamination event. In addition to physical dispersion processes, specific chemical characteristics of the radionuclides were taken into account. The simulation shows that, in the six-month period, 5% of the cesium-137 and cesium-134 was trapped in the sediment, while 50% of the plutonium-239/240 activity was deposited. The activity concentration of plutonium in the water column was, however, close to the limit of detection.

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Item Type:	Article (Commonwealth Reporting Category C)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Additional Information:	Deposited according to Publisher's requirements.
Faculty / Department / School:	Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Biological and Physical Sciences
Date Deposited:	11 Oct 2007 00:34
Last Modified:	22 Nov 2013 04:22
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Chernobyl; marine radioactivity; Baltic Sea; ocean pollution; ocean modelling; dispersion model; cesium; plutonium
Fields of Research :	05 Environmental Sciences > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050207 Environmental Rehabilitation (excl. Bioremediation) 02 Physical Sciences > 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics > 020202 Nuclear Physics 04 Earth Sciences > 0405 Oceanography > 040503 Physical Oceanography
Socio-Economic Objective:	D Environment > 96 Environment > 9611 Physical and Chemical Conditions of Water > 961199 Physical and Chemical Conditions of Water not elsewhere classified
Identification Number or DOI:	10.1016/0265-931X(91)90015-8
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/1081

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