Concentration de 137Cs et de 7Be dans les aérosols en France métropolitaine et à Tahiti de 1959 à 2002

Abstract

Long chronological series of atmospheric radioactivity observatory is used for the understanding of radionuclide behavior in the atmospheric compartment. Artificial radionuclides have been introduced in the environment after nuclear weapons tests, nuclear industries and nuclear accident such as Chernobyl (1986). The artificial radionuclide storage compartment evolution could also be understood by the behavior of natural radionuclides (i.e. 7Be, cosmogenic radionuclide). The Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN)'s atmospheric radioactivity observatory has begun in 1959. Nowadays, aerosol samples are collected on 6 stations located in the France (mainland) and 2 stations in the south hemisphere. In 2002, 137Cs levels in aerosols are around 0.4 μBq m-3 in France (mainland) and 10 times lower at Tahiti. For 7Be, levels are similar whatever the station location and are around 3 200 μBq m-3. © 2004 EDP Sciences.