-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: In the literature, there are many data available on radionuclide contents and their transfer to different species of mushrooms. There are some variables, however, which affect the transfer but are very difficult to observe in collected wild mushrooms. An example is the effect of different concentrations of alkali and alkaline earth elements in the soil. Modification of these concentrations in the soil solution has traditionally been used as a countermeasure to deal with radioactively contaminated areas. In the present work, fruiting bodies of Pleurotus eryngii, a saprophytic mushroom, were grown under controlled laboratory conditions, varying the content of alkali (potassium and cæsium) and alkaline earth (calcium and strontium) elements. The transfer of (134)Cs, (85)Sr, and (60)Co (added to the cultures) and of natural (210)Pb was analysed by increasing the content of each stable element considered. A significant, but nonlinear, enhancement of stable cæsium and (134)Cs was observed with increasing content of stable cæsium in the substrate/mycelium. The transfer of (85)Sr decreased with the addition of each stable cation, whereas the (60)Co and (210)Pb transfers were unaffected.
Applied radiation and isotopes: including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine 04/2012; 70(4):650-5. · 1.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The production of electricity in coal-fired power plants (CFPP) is considered a NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) activity because the coals they burn can present relatively high contents of the naturally occurring radionuclides. In this study, the main radiological impact pathways into the surrounding environments of the four largest coal-fired power plants in Spain were analyzed. These pathways are, first, atmospheric evacuations and wind resuspension and, second, effluent evacuations to nearby rivers or directly to the sea. The atmospheric releases of radionuclides were evaluated by the analyses of soil profiles in the vicinities of the CFPPs. No significant enhancement of radionuclides in the surface soil was observed at the points of maximum deposition of combustion gases, located from 4.3 to 13 km away depending on the considered CFPP. However, an increase of (40)K, (226)Ra, and (232)Th in the surface soils was observed in the first kilometre from the chimney for two CFPPs. This suggested that these radionuclides were released in particulate form. There was also a net influence of the climate in which the CFPPs were located. This was observed in the two CFPPs that were in dry environments, while no increase was observed in the other two, located in more humid environments. The liquid effluents released usually presented an enhancement of dissolved chemical species regarding the initial intake water. Enrichments of the (234,238)U and (226)Ra contents in the water used in the plants' routine procedures were observed, and of (210)Po in the wastewater of just one of the plants. In any case, this enhancement was below the parametric value for the Total Indicative Dose for the hypothetical human consumption of the released waters. As a consequence of these releases of radionuclides, local products destined for human consumption produced in the vicinity of the facilities might incorporate natural radionuclides by these pathways, finding no significant enhancement of the natural radionuclide contents due to the CFPPs.
Journal of Environmental Monitoring 03/2012; 14(3):1064-72. · 1.99 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Adequate radioprotection of the environment requires the identification of biomonitors sensitive to the variation of its radionuclide content. Due to the chemical similarities between calcium and strontium, calcified tissues of mammals are considered to be good ⁹⁰Sr biomonitors. This work considered Cervus elaphus antlers which, being shed annually, can give information about the importance of radiostrontium contamination in an ecosystem in the time period required for the growth of the antler. The samples were collected at various points of W and SW Spain. The mean value of their ⁹⁰Sr content was (70 ± 43 (S.D.)) Bq/kg d.w., range (16-218) Bq/kg d.w., and the radionuclide was evenly distributed in the different parts of the antler. There was a good correlation between the antlers' ⁹⁰Sr content and the ⁹⁰Sr deposited in the soil. The antlers' content of ²²⁶Ra (from the natural uranium series) and the contents of some stable elements (Ca, Mg, Sr, and K) were also determined. The values for these stable elements were practically constant in the analyzed samples, and the concentrations measured decreased in the following order: Ca » Mg > K > Sr » ⁹⁰Sr > ²²⁶Ra.
Journal of environmental radioactivity 03/2011; 102(3):311-5. · 1.47 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The present work studied the radioacitivity impact of a coal-fired power plant (CFPP), a NORM industry, on the water of the Regallo river which the plant uses for cooling. Downstream, this river passes through an important irrigated farming area, and it is a tributary of the Ebro, one of Spain's largest rivers. Although no alteration of the (210)Po or (232)Th content was detected, the (234,238)U and (226)Ra contents of the water were significantly greater immediately below CFPP's discharge point. The (226)Ra concentration decreased progressively downstream from the discharge point, but the uranium content increased significantly again at two sampling points 8 km downstream from the CFPP's effluent. This suggested the presence of another, unexpected uranium source term different from the CFPP. The input from this second uranium source term was even greater than that from the CFPP. Different hypotheses were tested (a reservoir used for irrigation, remobilization from sediments, and the effect of fertilizers used in the area), with it finally being demonstrated that the source was the fertilizers used in the adjacent farming areas.
Chemosphere 03/2011; 83(7):933-40. · 3.21 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A revision is presented of the peak-valley method for the in situ determination of low-level concentrations of (137)Cs in soils in which its vertical distribution is uniform or quasi-exponential, and relaxation coefficients within the range 3.5-15 g/cm(2). In tests of soils that satisfied these conditions, the revised method was found to reproduce the real (137)Cs concentrations to at least within the same order of magnitude, and with uncertainties of less than 40%. Finally a protocol is proposed to improve in so far as possible the precision of assays of this radionuclide in soils in which its presence is relatively low-of the order of a few kBq/m(2).
Applied radiation and isotopes: including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine 10/2009; 68(4-5):812-5. · 1.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The uptake and transfer of natural radionuclides, other than (40)K, from soil to mushrooms has been somewhat overlooked in the literature. Their contribution to the dose due to the consumption of mushrooms was considered negligible. But the contribution of (210)Pb in areas unaffected by any recent radioactive fallout has been found to be significant, up to 35% of the annual dose commitment in Spain. More than 30 species of mushrooms were analyzed, and the (210)Pb detected was in the range of 0.75-202 Bq/kg d.w. A slight difference was observed between species with different nutritional mechanisms (saprophytes > or = mycorrhizae). The (210)Pb content was correlated with the stable lead content, but not with its predecessor in the uranium radioactive series, (226)Ra. This suggested that (210)Pb was taken up from the soil by the same pathway as stable lead. The bioavailability of (210)Pb in soil was determined by means of a sequential extraction procedure (NH(4)OAc, 1M HCl, 6M HCl, and residue). About 30% of the (210)Pb present in the soil was available for transfer to mushrooms, more than other natural radionuclides in the same ecosystem. Lycoperdon perlatum, Hebeloma cylindrosporum, and Amanita curtipes presented the highest values of the available transfer factor, ATF. As reflected in their ATF values, the transfer from soil to mushroom of some natural and anthropogenic radionuclides was in the following order:
Science of The Total Environment 04/2009; 407(14):4320-6. · 3.29 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The Almaraz nuclear power plant (Spain) uses the water of Arrocampo reservoir for cooling, and consequently raises the radioactive levels of the aquatic ecosystem of this reservoir. From July 2002 to June 2005, monthly samples of surface water, bulrushes (Typha latifolia) and carp (Cyprinus carpio) were collected from this reservoir. They were analyzed to determine the temporal evolution of the levels of (3)H in surface water and of its transfer from the surface water to free-water in the tissues (TFWT) of the aforementioned two organisms. The tritium levels in the surface water oscillate with a biannual period, with their values in the study period ranging between 53 and 433 Bq/L. The incorporation of tritium to bulrushes and carp was fairly similar, the respective mean concentration factors being 0.74 and 0.8 (unitless, as Bq/L tissue water per Bq/L reservoir water). The temporal evolution of the levels fairly closely followed that observed for the surface water tritium, although detailed analysis showed the dominant periodicity for the bulrushes to be annual. This difference reflects the influence on the incorporation of tritium to bulrushes of diverse environmental and metabolic factors, especially evapotranspiration and the seasonal growth of this plant.
Journal of environmental radioactivity 02/2009; 100(3):209-14. · 1.47 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The adsorption of (241)Am and (226)Ra from natural water by a granulated wood charcoal was investigated as a function of the solution pH, in the range 4-10, and of the water flow, in the range 3.5-42 cm(3)/min. The percentage adsorption of (241)Am (fairly constant at >80% for all pHs) was greater than that of (226)Ra (which increased with increasing pH from approximately 40% up to >80%). The results are explained by considering the different species of each radionuclide present at the pH values of the solution at the end of the adsorbent column, and the pH of the point of zero charge of the adsorbent. At pH 6, the elimination of (241)Am from natural water was independent of the water flow, while the elimination of (226)Ra declined linearly as the flow rate was increased.
Applied Radiation and Isotopes 02/2008; 66(1):95-102. · 1.17 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The soil-mushroom transfer of thorium and uranium was analyzed in two ecologically similar but geographically separated Spanish ecosystems by means of the transfer factor, TF. Uranium TF values were in the range 0.043-0.49, and thorium TF values in the range 0.030-0.62. These values were similar to those of (90)Sr, (239+240)Pu, and (241)Am found previously in the same ecosystems. Given the low availability of uranium and thorium, the available transfer factors, ATF, were also determined. These were higher than the TF values by one order of magnitude for (234, 238)U, and by 2-3 orders of magnitude for (228, 230, 232)Th. The ATF value of thorium was similar to that of (137)Cs, and that of uranium similar to that of (40)K. Hebeloma cylindrosporum presented the highest uranium and thorium transfer factors, confirming this species as a good bioindicator of a soil's radioactive content.
Applied Radiation and Isotopes 10/2006; 64(9):1020-6. · 1.17 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Measurements of tritium specific activity levels and of temperatures in waters of the Torrejón-Tagus reservoir (Spain) showed that their radioactive characteristics were basically influenced by the radioactive liquid effluent from the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant. This enters the Torrejón-Tagus reservoir via the Arrocampo cooling reservoir, which exchanges water with the first. We studied the temporal and spatial (in two dimensions) evolution of the mentioned parameters for years 1997 and 1998. The tritium levels were found to be significantly correlated with temperature. Two numerical models were constructed for a quantitative study of the tritium levels along Torrejón reservoir: a 1D model was used for the dispersion of tritium along the whole length of the reservoir, and a 2D depth-averaged model was used for a detailed study of the area where tritium is released into the reservoir. Both models solve the hydrodynamic equations, to obtain the currents induced by the exchanges of water between the reservoirs in the River Tagus and Arrocampo, and the advection/diffusion equation to calculate the dispersion of tritium. In general, the model results were in agreement with the experimental observations.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 02/2006; 86(3):367-83. · 1.34 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Soil-fungus transfer coefficients are usually defined as the ratio between the content of the fruiting bodies and that of the soil. Since, however, the methodology of how to determine the soil content is not firmly established, there exist a variety of definitions in the literature. We analyzed the 137Cs, 90Sr, 40K, and 226Ra content of mushroom and soil samples from two pine-wood ecosystems in Spain. The location of the mycelium in the soil profiles of these ecosystems was determined by means of the ergosterol concentration. The results showed the mycelium to generally be localized in the surface layer of soil (0-5 cm). We also carried out a speciation procedure for this layer of soil to determine the different degrees of association of the radionuclides in the soil. The results led us to propose some variations to the traditional definition used in quantifying radionuclide transfer. With these modifications, we were able to analyze Cs-K competition in several species of mycorrhizal and saprophytic fungi.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 02/2005; 81(1):89-106. · 1.34 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A method is proposed to determine the activities of natural and artificial gamma-emitting radionuclides in soils using in situ spectrometry that is validated with conventional low-background laboratory gamma spectrometry. From the two sets of results, the dose-equivalent rate levels in the environment were reproduced and we are thus able to determine the principal components of those levels.
Radiation Protection Dosimetry 02/2005; 113(1):90-8. · 0.82 Impact Factor
-
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 04/2004; 72(3):547-56. · 1.02 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The dose due to ingestion of mushrooms depends on their radioactive content. However, not all the mass of the mushroom ingested is digested and assimilated completely by man. To analyse the degree of assimilation of the radioactive content of mushrooms, we have carried out culture under controlled laboratory conditions for Pleurotus eryngii mushrooms to which we added known activities of 134Cs, 85Sr and 239Pu. We then applied the Van Soest method to the fruiting bodies, which were obtained in order to determine the fraction of these radionuclides associated with the major components of the cell that are assimilable by man. Finally, on the basis of the results, we determined the dose due to 137Cs, 90Sr and (239+240)Pu for several mushroom species collected in different natural and semi-natural ecosystems in Spain.
Radiation Protection Dosimetry 02/2004; 111(1):97-100. · 0.82 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Indoor air samples taken in buildings throughout the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, Spain, were analysed for airborne radon concentrations using charcoal canisters. Measurements were made during the years 1998-2000. The geometrical mean indoor concentration was 90 Bq m(-3). An estimated annual effective dose of 1.6 mSv y(-1) was calculated for residents, assuming an equilibrium factor of 0.4 and an occupancy factor of 0.8. The relative importance of the principal variables that condition radon concentrations inside buildings was also delimited experimentally. These were: soil type, construction materials used, the height of the room above ground level, and the degree of ventilation. The temporal evolution of the radon concentration was analysed, as this aspect could be particularly important in a Continental-Mediterranean climate such as that of the two provinces of the study.
Radiation Protection Dosimetry 02/2003; 103(3):263-8. · 0.82 Impact Factor
-
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 01/2003; 69(6):817-28. · 1.02 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: This work is the result of a collaboration between Spanish and Portuguese laboratories. The specific objective was to quantify the time evolution during 1994, 1995 and 1996 of the radioecological impact of the liquid releases of 3H from the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) in the section of the Tagus River corresponding to Cáceres province in Spain and the Alentejo region in Portugal. We found that the temporal evolution of the levels of tritium depends on the management of the water held in the cooling reservoir of the ANPP and the presence of the dams that exist along the river. This management regime has a 12-month period. Also the movement of the mass of tritiated water (HTO) downriver was much faster during 1996 than 1995 or 1994 due to the hydrological differences between those years and consequently to the different amounts of water transferred between the reservoirs of the dams. From the hypothesis that hydrodynamically it is impossible to differentiate tritiated water from non-tritiated water, a model was constructed that satisfactorily reproduces the temporal evolution of the 3H in the zone of the Tagus River in which the exchange of water takes place, with the cooling reservoir of the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant.
Water Research 04/2001; 35(3):705-14. · 4.86 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: We made quarterly determinations of the transfer coefficients and effective transfer coefficients for the radionuclides 137Cs, 90Sr, 40K, 226Ra, 228Ra and 228Th over a full annual cycle, in a Mediterranean grazing-land ecosystem. The input and output fluxes of the radionuclides between the different compartments of this ecosystem were quantified for the following processes: root uptake; variation in root and aerial biomass; pasture production; translocation; leaf fall; efflux due to grazing action; resuspension and subsequent aerial deposition of radionuclides. We observed there to be a marked seasonal variation for this type of ecosystem in both the transfer coefficients and the radionuclide fluxes, which impedes the soil-plant transfer being characterized on the basis of values that are constant with time.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 02/2001; 55(3):283-302. · 1.34 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: There has been an extraordinary increase in interest concerning the transfer of radioactive contamination to the fruit bodies of fungi since the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. These investigations, however, have focused exclusively on field studies aimed fundamentally at quantifying the behaviour of the radiocaesium component of the contamination. The results have shown great variability. As a contribution towards this body of knowledge, we have made a comparative study of the temporal evolution of the transfer of 85Sr and 134Cs via three routes of radioactive contamination--from the mycelium, from the surface layer of the soil, and directly onto the caps of the fruit bodies--for the saprophyte species, Pleurotus eryngii, under controlled laboratory conditions. The results indicate that the last of the above three uptake routes is the most efficient, and that the temporal evolution of the transfer is closely related to the radionuclide and the radioactive contamination route being considered.
Applied Radiation and Isotopes 10/2000; 53(3):455-62. · 1.17 Impact Factor
-
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 09/1999; 63(2):139-49. · 1.02 Impact Factor
