Airborne concentrations and chemical considerations of radioactive ruthenium from an undeclared major nuclear release in 2017

Masson, O.; Steinhauser, G.; Zok, D.; Saunier, O.; Angelov, H.; Babić, D.; Bečková, V.; Bieringer, J.; Bruggeman, M.; Burbidge, C. I.; Conil, S.; Dalheimer, A.; De Geer, L.-E.; de Vismes Ott, A.; Eleftheriadis, K.; Estier, S.; Fischer, H.; Garavaglia, M. G.; Gasco Leonarte, C.; Gorzkiewicz, K.; Hainz, D.; Hoffman, I.; Hýža, M.; Isajenko, K.; Karhunen, T.; Kastlander, J.; Katzlberger, C.; Kierepko, R.; Knetsch, G.-J.; Kövendiné Kónyi, J.; Lecomte, M.; Mietelski, J. W.; Min, P.; Møller, B.; Nielsen, S. P.; Nikolic, J.; Nikolovska, L.; Penev, I.; Petrinec, B.; Povinec, P. P.; Querfeld, R.; Raimondi, O.; Ransby, D.; Ringer, W.; Romanenko, O.; Rusconi, R.; Saey, P. R. J.; Samsonov, V.; Šilobritienė, B.; Simion, E.; Söderström, C.; Šoštarić, M.; Steinkopff, T.; Steinmann, P.; Sýkora, I.; Tabachnyi, L.; Todorovic, D.; Tomankiewicz, E.; Tschiersch, J.; Tsibranski, R.; Tzortzis, M.; Ungar, K.; Vidic, A.; Weller, A.; Wershofen, H.; Zagyvai, P.; Zalewska, T.; Zapata García, D.; Zorko, B.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1907571116

i

Airborne concentrations and chemical considerations of radioactive ruthenium from an undeclared major nuclear release in 2017

Supporting Files

2019
By Masson, O. ; Steinhauser, G. ; Zok, D. ; ...

Details

Journal Title:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Personal Author:

Masson, O. ; Steinhauser, G. ; Zok, D. ; Saunier, O. ; Angelov, H. ; Babić, D. ; Bečková, V. ; Bieringer, J. ; Bruggeman, M. ; Burbidge, C. I. ; Conil, S. ; Dalheimer, A. ; De Geer, L.-E. ; de Vismes Ott, A. ; Eleftheriadis, K. ; Estier, S. ; Fischer, H. ; Garavaglia, M. G. ; Gasco Leonarte, C. ; Gorzkiewicz, K. ; Hainz, D. ; Hoffman, I. ; Hýža, M. ; Isajenko, K. ; Karhunen, T. ; Kastlander, J. ; Katzlberger, C. ; Kierepko, R. ; Knetsch, G.-J. ; Kövendiné Kónyi, J. ; Lecomte, M. ; Mietelski, J. W. ; Min, P. ; Møller, B. ; Nielsen, S. P. ; Nikolic, J. ; Nikolovska, L. ; Penev, I. ; Petrinec, B. ; Povinec, P. P. ; Querfeld, R. ; Raimondi, O. ; Ransby, D. ; Ringer, W. ; Romanenko, O. ; Rusconi, R. ; Saey, P. R. J. ; Samsonov, V. ; Šilobritienė, B. ; Simion, E. ; Söderström, C. ; Šoštarić, M. ; Steinkopff, T. ; Steinmann, P. ; Sýkora, I. ; Tabachnyi, L. ; Todorovic, D. ; Tomankiewicz, E. ; Tschiersch, J. ; Tsibranski, R. ; Tzortzis, M. ; Ungar, K. ; Vidic, A. ; Weller, A. ; Wershofen, H. ; Zagyvai, P. ; Zalewska, T. ; Zapata García, D. ; Zorko, B.
NOAA Program & Office:

OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; ARL (Air Resources Laboratory)
Description:

In October 2017, most European countries reported unique atmospheric detections of aerosol-bound radioruthenium (Ru-106). The range of concentrations varied from some tenths of mu Bq.m(-3) to more than 150 mBq.m(-3). The widespread detection at such considerable (yet innocuous) levels suggested a considerable release. To compare activity reports of airborne Ru-106 with different sampling periods, concentrations were reconstructed based on the most probable plume presence duration at each location. Based on airborne concentration spreading and chemical considerations, it is possible to assume that the release occurred in the Southern Urals region (Russian Federation). The Ru-106 age was estimated to be about 2 years. It exhibited highly soluble and less soluble fractions in aqueous media, high radiopurity (lack of concomitant radionuclides), and volatility between 700 and 1,000 degrees C, thus suggesting a release at an advanced stage in the reprocessing of nuclear fuel. The amount and isotopic characteristics of the radioruthenium release may indicate a context with the production of a large Ce-144 source for a neutrino experiment.
Keywords:

Accidental Release Ce-144 Chernobyl Environmental Environmental Radioactivity Nuclear Forensics Radionuclides Release Ru-106 Ruthenium Science Technology Accidental Release Environmental Radioactivity Nuclear Forensics
Source:

PNAS 116 (34) 16750-16759 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1907571116.
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1907571116
Pubmed ID:

31350352
Pubmed Central ID:

PMC6708381
Document Type:

Journal Article
Rights Information:

Other
Compliance:

PMC
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha256:bd80822a2e0ce89a88c92af7694f4226e4cabf7093d258ec3ba0e3cbf536724a
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/29199/noaa_29199_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 1.80 MB ]

Appendix

Download pdf

ON THIS PAGE

Details Supporting Files Related Documents

The NOAA IR serves as an archival repository of NOAA-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other information authored or co-authored by NOAA or funded partners. As a repository, the NOAA IR retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.