Abstract
The Chernobyl nuclear power station accident1–3 released large quantities of vaporized radionuclides, and, to a lesser extent, mechanically released small (<1–10 μm) aerosol particles2,4. The total release of radioactivity is estimated to be of the order of 1–2 x 1018 Bq (3–5 x 107 Ci) not allowing for releases of the xenon and krypton gases2. The 137Cs releases of 3.8 xlO16 Bq from Chernobyl can be compared to 1.3 x 1018 Bq 137Cs released due to atmospheric nuclear weapons testing1. Chernobyl-derived radionuclides can be used as transient tracers to study physical and biogeochemical processes. Initial measurements of fallout Chernobyl radionuclides from a time-series sediment trap at 1,071 m during June–September 1986 in the southern Black Sea are presented. The specific activities of 137Cs, 144Ce and 106Ru in the trap samples (0.5–2, 4–12 and 6–13 Bq g−1) are independent of the particle flux while their relative activities reflect their rates of scavenging in the order Ce>Ru>Cs.
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Buesseler, K., Livingston, H., Honjo, S. et al. Chernobyl radionuclides in a Black Sea sediment trap. Nature 329, 825–828 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/329825a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/329825a0
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