Abstract
Artificial radioactivity within the sediment-water system in Carlingford Lough has been studied and the extent of transport of plutonium from sea to land has been assessed by analysing soil samples taken at selected inland sites close to the shore of the Lough. Samples of sea water, suspended particulate and sediment have been analysed for 134Cs, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239,240Pu and 241Am and the speciation of both plutonium and americium determined in Lough waters. The association of transuranium nuclides with colloids has also been examined and it has been shown that a significant proportion of the plutonium and almost all of the americium in the filtrate fraction (<0.22 µm) is in a colloidal form. In general, concentrations of radiocaesium and the transuranics were found to be very low and showed little or no enhancement when compared to similar materials sampled elsewhere near the north-east coast of Ireland. Finally, the sea-to-land transfer of plutonium and, by inference, other actinides was found to be insignificant in the vicinity of the Lough and the adjacent coastline.
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Mitchell, P.I. et al. (1991). Plutonium, Americtum and Radiocaesium in Sea Water, Sediments and Coastal Soils in Carlingford Lough. In: Kershaw, P.J., Woodhead, D.S. (eds) Radionuclides in the Study of Marine Processes. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3686-0_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3686-0_28
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