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ABSTRACT: The scientist must be sure that, within a stated context, the terms used in articles, publications, or the daily conversation among colleagues are intended by all in the same precise way, without any possible ambiguity. As already pointed out by “Nomenclature for sampling in analytical chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1990)” [4], it is not acceptable that scientists are not able to orient themselves in a sampling or analytical process. This can occur if the terms used are not well defined. Moreover, to better appreciate the development of new theories or concepts, progressive updates can be necessary. To this end, on the basis of
the existing terminology documents and of the most recent knowledge in the field of soil sampling, an updated terminology in sampling (specifically, soil sampling) is recommended.
Pure and Applied Chemistry 01/2005; 77(5):827-841. · 2.79 Impact Factor
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U Sansone,
P R Danesi, S Barbizzi,
M Belli,
M Campbell,
S Gaudino,
G Jia,
R Ocone,
A Pati,
S Rosamilia,
L Stellato
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ABSTRACT: A field study, organised, coordinated and conducted under the responsibility of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), took place in Kosovo in November 2000 to evaluate the level of depleted uranium (DU) released into the environment by the use of DU ammunition during the 1999 conflict. Representatives of six different scientific organisations took part in the mission and a total of approximately 350 samples were collected. During this field mission, the Italian National Environmental Protection Agency (ANPA) collected water, soil, lichen and tree bark samples from different sites. The samples were analysed by alpha-spectroscopy and in some cases by inductively coupled plasma-source mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The 234U/238U and 235U/238U activity concentration ratios were used to distinguish natural from anthropogenic uranium. This paper reports the results obtained on these samples. All water samples had very low concentrations of uranium (much below the average concentration of drinking water in Europe). The surface soil samples showed a very large variability in uranium activity concentration, namely from approximately 20 Bq kg(-1) (environmental natural uranium) to approximately 2.3 x 10(5) Bq kg(-1) (approximately 18000 mg kg(-1) of depleted uranium), with concentrations above environmental levels always due to DU. The uranium isotope measurements refer to soil samples collected at places where DU ammunition had been fired; this variability indicates that the impact of DU ammunitions is very site-specific, reflecting both the physical conditions at the time of the impact of the DU ammunition and any physical and chemical alteration which occurred since then. The results on tree barks and lichens indicated the presence of DU in all cases, showing their usefulness as sensitive qualitative bio-indicators for the presence of DU dusts or aerosols formed at the time the DU ammunition had hit a hard target. This result is particularly interesting considering that at some sites, which had been hit by DU ammunition, no DU ground contamination could be detected.
Science of The Total Environment 01/2002; 281(1-3):23-35. · 3.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has performed a field survey at 11 sites located in Kosovo, where depleted uranium (DU) ammunitions were used by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during the last Balkans conflict (1999). Soil sampling was performed to assess the spread of DU ground contamination around and within the NATO target sites and the migration of DU along the soil profile. The 234U/238U and 235U/238U activity concentration ratios have been used as an indicator of natural against anthropogenic sources of uranium. The results show that levels of 238U activity concentrations in soils above 100 Bq x kg(-1) can be considered a 'tracer' of the presence of DU in soils. The results also indicate that detectable ground surface contamination by DU is limited to areas within a few metres from localised points of concentrated contamination caused by penetrator impacts. Vertical distribution of DU along the soil profile is measurable up to a depth of 10-20 cm. This latter aspect is of particular relevance for the potential risk of future contamination of groundwater.
Radiation Protection Dosimetry 02/2001; 97(4):317-20. · 0.82 Impact Factor
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P. de Zorzi, S. Barbizzi,
M Belli,
M. Barbina,
A. Fajgelj,
R. Jacimovic,
Z Jeran,
S Menegon,
A Pati,
G. Petruzzelli,
U Sansone,
M. van der Perk
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ABSTRACT: Since 1998, the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise 'G. Caporale' in Teramo is conducting radioecological surveys in the Abruzzo region (Central Italy), to acquire knowledge on the geochemical and biological mobility of radionuclides derived from the Chernobyl accident. To this end, samples of grasses, fungi, mosses and soils were collected in four national parks (Sirente-Velino, Abruzzo Lazio and Molise, the Gran Sasso and the park of Monti della Laga and Maiella). The results show that the Chernobyl fallout is still detectable in the samples collected in the four parks but the (137)Cs concentrations are present in the semi-natural environments in quantities that do not create concerns from a radiological point of view.
Veterinaria italiana 40(1):50-63. · 0.67 Impact Factor
