210Po in the environment: insight into the naturally occurring polonium isotope

Experimental study on a method for determination of 210Po activity in soil

This paper is based on detailed studies by predecessors on the parameters of self-deposition reaction reagents, analyzes multiple extraction and multi - copper - sheet extraction experiments using the gross alpha count method. It was determined that 60 °C is the most suitable temperature for auto-precipitation reaction experiments by the paper. By performing multiple extractions, the amount of 210Po extracted from soil samples can be increased. Additionally, by controlling the mass loss of the sample solution during the extraction process, the extraction efficiency can also be improved. Meanwhile, the linear relationship between uranium ore powders of different concentrations and the alpha net count rate was investigated. It was revealed that outlier points exist in the measurement results of soil samples containing trace amounts of 210Po, with a relatively low linear correlation.Moreover, the extraction results of a single copper sheet are prone to obvious statistical fluctuations.These problems are effectively solved by the multi-copper-sheet extraction method, thereby reducing measurement errors.Furthermore, the effectiveness of these two methods was verified using field-collected soil samples.It was found that multiple extractions and the multi-copper-sheet method could further enhance the practical applicability and accuracy of 210Po measurement methods in soil.

Lead-210 in environmental samples -a review on the status and progress on its determination

Lead-210 (210Pb) is an integral component of the uranium-238 decay series and distributed throughout the environment. The interest for determining 210Pb comes from many tracer applications of the radionuclide, where one of the most useful applications is sediment dating. Meanwhile, the radiation risk through internal exposure is another concern due to its high radiotoxic daughters. The conventional approaches for 210Pb quantification have relied upon radiometric methods, an interest in using mass spectrometry for its measurement has been increased in the recent years. This article aims to present a critical review on different aspects for the determination of 210Pb, including preconcentration and separation of lead from environmental samples, followed by a comparison of the conventional radiometric methods to the mass spectrometry for its measurement.

Health risk assessment of 210Po and 210Pb due to consumption of dried fish from natural high background radiation areas of Kanyakumari coast, Tamil Nadu, India

This study investigated the concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides, specifically polonium-210 (210Po) and Lead-210 (210Pb), and their associated health risks in dried fish samples collected from Natural High Background Radiation Areas (NHBRAs) along the Kanyakumari coast, India. Samples of water, sediment and twelve dried fish species were collected from seven coastal locations known for monazite-rich beach sands. Following rigorous electrochemical separation, low background Alpha and Beta counting system was employed to determine the activity concentrations of the radionuclides. Results indicated significant variations in both 210Po (range: 0.91-27.1 Bq/kg; mean: 7.13 Bq/kg) and 210Pb (range: 7.42-22.91 Bq/kg; mean: 12.58 Bq/kg) concentrations across the different fish species. The highest concentrations of both radionuclides were observed in Scomber scombrus and Engraulis encrasicolus. The 210Po/210Pb activity ratio varied from 0.09 to 1.27 (mean: 0.47), suggesting species-specific differences in the bioaccumulation of these radionuclides. An assessment of the Annual Effective Dose (AED) revealed age-dependent variations. Children exhibited higher sensitivity to 210Po exposure, with AED values ranging from 4 × 10-6 to 1.2 × 10-4 Sv/y, compared to adults and juveniles. An Excessive Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) analysis showed the maximum mortality and morbidity risks associated with 210Po was found in Scomber scombrus (3 × 10-4 and 4.2 × 10-4, respectively). Crucially, these ELCR values remained below established global threshold limits. This comprehensive radiological assessment provides crucial baseline data for environmental monitoring and public health protection in coastal communities, especially within regions exhibiting elevated natural background radiation.

A review of 210Pb and 210Po in moss

Among environment contaminants, 210Pb and 210Po have gained significant research attention due to their radioactive toxicity. Moss, with its exceptional adsorption capability for these radionuclides, serves as an indicator for environmental 210Pb and 210Po pollution. The paper reviews a total of 138 articles, summarizing the common methods and analytical results of 210Pb and 210Po research in moss. It elucidates the accumulation characteristics of 210Pb and 210Po in moss, discusses current research challenges, potential solutions, and future prospects in this field. Existing literature indicates limitations in common measurement techniques for 210Pb and 210Po in moss, characterized by high detection limits or lengthy sample processing. The concentration of 210Pb and 210Po within moss display substantial variations across different regions worldwide, ranging from Collapse

Key Words

• (210)Pb
• (210)Po
• Environmental contamination
• Measurement method
• Moss bioindication

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MESH Headings

• Lead Radioisotopes/analysis
• Polonium/analysis
• Bryophyta/chemistry
• Radiation Monitoring/methods

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Grants Collapse

Affiliation(s)

Chenlu Ding College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan, PR China
Qiang Yang College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan, PR China; Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, PR China.
Xue Zhao Chongqing Radiation Environment Supervision and Management Station, Chongqing, 400015, PR China
Lipeng Xu Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, PR China
Hui Tang College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan, PR China; Sichuan Management and Monitoring Center Station of Radioactive Environment, Chengdu, 611139, PR China
Zhengshang Liu College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan, PR China
Juan Zhai College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan, PR China
Qingxian Zhang College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan, PR China

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An isotope generator of Po-210 based on SR resin

The work describes an isotope generator of polonium-210 based on an extraction chromatographic resin SR Resin. It was shown that a high selectivity of 4,4'(5')-di-t-butylcyclohexano-18-crown-6, an active component of SR Resin, for lead allows a clear separation of Pb-210 from impurities, easy elution of Po-210 with 5-7 mL of 0.05 M nitric acid solution as well as good retention of Pb-210 in the generator. The content of alpha emitting impurities in the Po-210 eluate did not exceed 0.65%. The experience of 3-years exploitation of the generator is described. It was shown that the SR Resin was stable against irradiation and complete drying, and Pb-210 loss from the SR Resin column for 3 years (seven elutions) was near to loss due to its radioactive decay within the error limits (less than 7%).

A sensitive method to determine 210Po and 210Pb in environmental samples by alpha spectrometry using CuS micro-precipitation

A new sensitive method to determine polonium-210 (210Po) and lead-210 (210Pb) in a diversity of environmental samples was developed. For fresh and marine waters, Po was pre-concentrated using a titanium (III) hydroxide (Ti(OH)3) co-precipitation. Solid environmental samples were digested with nitric acid (HNO3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The alpha thin layer source was prepared using CuS micro-precipitation and 210Po was measured by alpha spectrometry. Lead-210 was left to decay for up to a year and indirectly measured via its progeny, 210Po. The chemical recoveries for 210Po and 210Pb were high, 90% and 97%, respectively, for a large variety of samples and a very low minimum detectable activity (MDA) was obtained. The method was validated using standardized solutions and certified reference materials.

Detection of Polonium-210 in Environmental, Biological and Food Samples: A Review

Ingestion of polonium-210 from environmental media and food can cause serious health hazards (e.g., gastrointestinal symptoms, tumours, etc.) and has been a public health concern worldwide since the 2006 poisoning of Agent Litvinenko 210Po in Russia. With the development of uranium mining and applications of nuclear technology in recent decades, the radioactive hazards posed by 210Po to living organisms and the environment have become increasingly prominent. In order to strengthen the monitoring of environmental 210Po and protect both the environment and human health, a series of explorations on the methods of 210Po determination have been ongoing by researchers across the globe. However, previous reviews have focused on individual sample types and have not provided a comprehensive account of environmental, food, and biological samples that are closely related to human health. In this work, the sources, health hazards, chemical purification, and detection methods of trace 210Po in different sample types are systematically reviewed. In particular, the advantages and disadvantages of various pretreatment methods are compared, and relevant domestic and international standards are integrated, which puts forward a new direction for the subsequent establishment of rapid, simple, and efficient measurement methods.

Experimental optimization of physicochemical factors for spontaneous deposition of 210Po using newly designed deposition kit

A simple spontaneous deposition kit for ²¹⁰Po determination using alpha spectrometry was newly designed, and polonium deposition characteristics under various physicochemical conditions were evaluated using it. The high-purity silver disc (99.99%) showed high deposition efficiencies of over 85.1% in the HCl concentration range of 0.01-6 M. Optimal physicochemical factors were determined to be a temperature of 90 °C, deposition time of 90 min, and the use of ascorbic acid as a reducing agent in an amount similar to that of the interfering element (Fe).

Simultaneous determination of 210Pb and 90Sr and 210Po isolation in sludge samples using a plastic scintillation resin

This study describes a new and fast method for separating ²¹⁰Po from ²¹⁰Pb and ⁹⁰Sr, before simultaneously measuring the individual activities of the latter two radionuclides using a plastic scintillation resin (PSresin) in sludge samples taken from a drinking water treatment plant. This method speeds up the analysis process significantly by simultaneously measuring ²¹⁰Pb and ⁹⁰Sr in a single step. The method is reproducible and has a relative standard deviation of less than 25% for ²¹⁰Pb, ²¹⁰Po and ⁹⁰Sr. The method was satisfactorily validated with an intercomparison sample and applied to sludge samples from a drinking water treatment plant. The minimum detectable activities for 0.9 g of sludge are 5.5 Bq/kg and 8 Bq/kg for ²¹⁰Pb and ⁹⁰Sr respectively when measured for 180 min, and 0.5 Bq/kg for ²¹⁰Po when measured for 5000 min.

Occurrence and behavior of uranium and thorium series radionuclides in the Permian shale hydraulic fracturing wastes

Over the last decade, there has been a rapid growth in the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to recover unconventional oil and gas in the Permian Basin of southeastern New Mexico (NM) and western Texas. Fracking generates enormous quantities of wastes that contain technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM), which poses risks to human health and the environment because of the relatively high doses of radioactivity. However, very little is known about the chemical composition and radioactivity levels of Permian Basin fracking wastes. Here, we report chemical as well as radiochemical compositions of hydraulic fracking wastes from the Permian Basin. Radium, the major TENORM of interest in unconventional drilling wastes, varied from 19.1 ± 1.2 to 35.9 ± 3.2 Bq/L for ²²⁶Ra, 10.3 ± 0.5 to 21.5 ± 1.2 Bq/L for ²²⁸Ra, and 2.0 ± 0.05 to 3.7 ± 0.07 Bq/L for ²²⁴Ra. In addition to elevated concentrations of radium, these wastewaters also contain elevated concentrations of dissolved salts and divalent cations such as Na⁺ (31,856-43,000 mg/L), Ca²⁺ (668-4123 mg/L), Mg²⁺ (202-2430 mg/L), K⁺ (148-780 mg/L), Sr²⁺ (101-260 mg/L), Cl^- (5160-66,700 mg/L), SO₄^2- (291-1980 mg/L), Br^- (315-596 mg/L), SiO₂ (20-32 mg/L), and high total dissolved solid (TDS) of 5000-173,000 mg/L compared to background waters. These elevated levels are of radiological significance and represent a major source of Ra in the environment. The recent discovery of large deposits of recoverable oil and gas in the Permian Basin will lead to more fracking, TENORM generation, and radium releases to the environment. This paper evaluates the potential radiation risks associated with TENORM wastes generated by the oil and gas recovery industry in the Permian Basin.

210Po characteristic in selected thermal water sources in Northern Vietnam

There are eight famous thermal water sources, with medium temperature, neutral pH, high ranges of TDS values located in different carbonate formations in Northern Vietnam. The chemical composition results showed the major elements present were Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, while trace amounts of rare earth elements (REE), Ag, As, Pb, Th, U were observed. The 210Po activity concentration and the annual committed effective doses for adults, children, and infants in all study areas were far less than 100 mBq L−1 and 0.1 mSv y−1, respectively. Some significant correlations between 210Po and other chemical components have been observed.

Current understanding and research needs for ecological risk assessments of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in subsea oil and gas pipelines

Thousands of offshore oil and gas facilities are coming to the end of their life in jurisdictions worldwide and will require decommissioning. In-situ decommissioning, where the subsea components of that infrastructure are left in the marine environment following the end of its productive life, has been proposed as an option that delivers net benefits, including from: ecological benefits from the establishment of artificial reefs, economic benefits from associated fisheries, reduced costs and improved human safety outcomes for operators. However, potential negative impacts, such as the ecological risk of residual contaminants, are not well understood. Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are a class of contaminants found in some oil and gas infrastructure (e.g. pipelines) and includes radionuclides of uranium, thorium, radium, radon, lead, and polonium. NORM are ubiquitous in oil and gas reservoirs around the world and may form contamination products including scales and sludges in subsea infrastructure due to their chemistries and the physical processes of oil and gas extraction. The risk that NORM from these sources pose to marine ecosystems is not yet understood meaning that decisions made about decommissioning may not deliver the best outcomes for environments. In this review, we consider the life of NORM-contamination products in oil and gas systems, their expected exposure pathways in the marine environment, and possible ecological impacts following release. These are accompanied by the key research priorities that need to better describe risk associated with decommissioning options.

Hydrogen Bonding with Polonium

Hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) with heavier chalcogens such as polonium and tellurium is almost unexplored owing to their lower electronegativities, providing us an opportunity to delve into the uncharted territory of...

A fast strategy to sequentially separate and determine 90Sr, 210Pb and 210Po in water samples using Sr resin

This study presents a rapid and novel sequential separation strategy based on extraction chromatography for determining 90Sr, 210Pb and 210Po in drinking water samples. It involves the use of Sr resin for the separation and then liquid scintillation counting and alpha spectrometry for the determination. The experimental results obtained showed that the proper acidic solution to quantitatively retain the aforementioned radionuclides is 3 M HNO3. The optimum eluents were determined for obtaining quantitative recoveries (70–80%) of 90Sr, 210Pb and 210Po. The method was validated with intercomparison water samples and is satisfactory in terms of minimum detectable activities, which are 50% lower than that established in RD 314/2016.