Determination of activity ratios of 238,239+240,241Pu, 241Am, 134,137Cs, and 90Sr in Bulgarian soils

摘要

The origins of different artificial radionuclides found in soils from Northern and Southern Bulgaria was determined by measurements of their actual concentrations and respective ratios. On the basis of the measured mobility and concentrations of the investigated radionuclides in soils, it was estimated that after the Chernobyl accident the mean depositions of fresh 137Cs were 3.0 ± 2.5 kBq/m2 for Northern Bulgaria and 15 ± 7 kBq/m2 for Southern Bulgaria. As a result of global fallout following atmospheric nuclear weapon tests in the 1950s, mean depositions (corrected to 1965) were calculated for Northern and Southern Bulgaria as follows: for 90Sr—1.0 ± 0.5 and 2.3 ± 1.3 kBq/m2, 238Pu—1.3 ± 0.8 and 2.8 ± 1.6 Bq/m2, 239+240Pu—15 ± 14 and 47 ± 38 Bq/m2, and 241Pu—520 ± 200 and 760 ± 260 Bq/m2.