Alpha spectrometry in radiochemical analysis and its application in the study of the natural environment

Abstract

Alpha spectrometry is a highly sensitive and modern measurement technique which can be used to radiochemical and radiological studies of the natural environment. In the paper were presented the results on application of alpha spectrometry in the study for determination of natural ( 210 Po, 210 Pb, 234 U, 238 U) and artificial ( 238 Pu, 239+240 Pu and 241 Pu) alpha and beta radionuclides in environment of Poland and Baltic Sea. Amongst the radionuclides, alpha particle emitters play the most important role as they are highly radiotoxic to organisms. The concentrations of alpha radionuclides in the environmental samples of Poland are characterized based on the environmental materials collected between 1998 and 2009. Biogeochemistry of polonium, uranium and plutonium in the southern Baltic Sea ecosystem combined with the use of radioactive disequilibrium 210 Po/ 210 Pb, 234 U/ 238 U and 238 Pu/ 239+240 Pu and 241 Pu/ 239+240 Pu allows you to identify the sources of these radionuclides in natural ecosystems. It also allows to determine their circulation in the environment (e. g. to assess the impact of the Chernobyl nuclear accident on the radioactive contamination of Poland).