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Eglinton TI, Graven HD, Raymond PA, Trumbore SE, Aluwihare L, Bard E, Basu S, Friedlingstein P, Hammer S, Lester J, Sanderman J, Schuur EAG, Sierra CA, Synal HA, Turnbull JC, Wacker L. Making the case for an International Decade of Radiocarbon. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2023; 381:20230081. [PMID: 37807687 PMCID: PMC10642805 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2023.0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Radiocarbon (14C) is a critical tool for understanding the global carbon cycle. During the Anthropocene, two new processes influenced 14C in atmospheric, land and ocean carbon reservoirs. First, 14C-free carbon derived from fossil fuel burning has diluted 14C, at rates that have accelerated with time. Second, 'bomb' 14C produced by atmospheric nuclear weapon tests in the mid-twentieth century provided a global isotope tracer that is used to constrain rates of air-sea gas exchange, carbon turnover, large-scale atmospheric and ocean transport, and other key C cycle processes. As we write, the 14C/12C ratio of atmospheric CO2 is dropping below pre-industrial levels, and the rate of decline in the future will depend on global fossil fuel use and net exchange of bomb 14C between the atmosphere, ocean and land. This milestone coincides with a rapid increase in 14C measurement capacity worldwide. Leveraging future 14C measurements to understand processes and test models requires coordinated international effort-a 'decade of radiocarbon' with multiple goals: (i) filling observational gaps using archives, (ii) building and sustaining observation networks to increase measurement density across carbon reservoirs, (iii) developing databases, synthesis and modelling tools and (iv) establishing metrics for identifying and verifying changes in carbon sources and sinks. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Radiocarbon in the Anthropocene'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Susan E. Trumbore
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Lihini Aluwihare
- Geosciences Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Edouard Bard
- CEREGE, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Collège de France, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Sourish Basu
- Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Pierre Friedlingstein
- College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Samuel Hammer
- Institut für Umweltphysik, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joanna Lester
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Edward A. G. Schuur
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Carlos A. Sierra
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Jocelyn C. Turnbull
- Rafter Radiocarbon Laboratory, GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
- CIRES, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Lukas Wacker
- Department of Physics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Xing S, Peng C, Christl M, Shi K, Synal HA, Hou X. Simultaneous Determination of Transuranium Radionuclides for Nuclear Forensics by Compact Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2023; 95:3647-3655. [PMID: 36763009 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is one of the most sensitive techniques used to measure the long-lived actinides. This is particularly of interest for determination of ultra-trace transuranium nuclides and their isotopic fingerprints for nuclear forensics. In this work, a new method was developed for simultaneous determination of transuranium nuclides (Np, Pu, Am, and Cm isotopes) by using 300 kV AMS after a sequential chemical separation of each group of actinides. 242Pu and 243Am were utilized as tracers for Np/Pu and Am/Cm yield monitoring. The results show that the chemical behaviors of Np and Pu on the TK200 column and those of Am and Cm on the DGA column were very consistent in 8-9 mol/L of HNO3 and 0.015-0.03 mol/L of NaNO2 media during the radiochemical separation. The AMS detection efficiencies for transuranium nuclides were also evaluated. The detection limits for all radionuclides are below femtogram level and even in attogram level for Pu and Cm isotopes. The established method has been successfully applied to accurately measure various transuranium nuclides in a single actinide radionuclide solution, demonstrating its feasibility for nuclear forensic investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Xing
- Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,China Institute for Radiation Protection, Taiyuan 030000, P. R. China
| | - Chenyang Peng
- Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Marcus Christl
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Keliang Shi
- Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Xiaolin Hou
- Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.,School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
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Brehm N, Christl M, Knowles TDJ, Casanova E, Evershed RP, Adolphi F, Muscheler R, Synal HA, Mekhaldi F, Paleari CI, Leuschner HH, Bayliss A, Nicolussi K, Pichler T, Schlüchter C, Pearson CL, Salzer MW, Fonti P, Nievergelt D, Hantemirov R, Brown DM, Usoskin I, Wacker L. Tree-rings reveal two strong solar proton events in 7176 and 5259 BCE. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1196. [PMID: 35256613 PMCID: PMC8901681 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28804-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe Sun sporadically produces eruptive events leading to intense fluxes of solar energetic particles (SEPs) that dramatically disrupt the near-Earth radiation environment. Such events have been directly studied for the last decades but little is known about the occurrence and magnitude of rare, extreme SEP events. Presently, a few events that produced measurable signals in cosmogenic radionuclides such as 14C, 10Be and 36Cl have been found. Analyzing annual 14C concentrations in tree-rings from Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, Russia, and the USA we discovered two spikes in atmospheric 14C occurring in 7176 and 5259 BCE. The ~2% increases of atmospheric 14C recorded for both events exceed all previously known 14C peaks but after correction for the geomagnetic field, they are comparable to the largest event of this type discovered so far at 775 CE. These strong events serve as accurate time markers for the synchronization with floating tree-ring and ice core records and provide critical information on the previous occurrence of extreme solar events which may threaten modern infrastructure.
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Wu Y, Dai X, Xing S, Luo M, Christl M, Synal HA, Hou S. Direct search for primordial 244Pu in Bayan Obo bastnaesite. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Abstract
An introduction is given to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) technology, to the fundamental measurement principles, and the physics aspects behind the design constrain of AMS instruments. This article shall give an overview on technical design constraints of AMS instrumentation, general ion optical principles, and nuclide specific problems. The historic development of AMS detection techniques is briefly summarized. The wide variety of applications connected to the AMS technology are not discussed.
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Paleari CI, Mekhaldi F, Adolphi F, Christl M, Vockenhuber C, Gautschi P, Beer J, Brehm N, Erhardt T, Synal HA, Wacker L, Wilhelms F, Muscheler R. Cosmogenic radionuclides reveal an extreme solar particle storm near a solar minimum 9125 years BP. Nat Commun 2022; 13:214. [PMID: 35017519 PMCID: PMC8752676 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27891-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
During solar storms, the Sun expels large amounts of energetic particles (SEP) that can react with the Earth's atmospheric constituents and produce cosmogenic radionuclides such as 14C, 10Be and 36Cl. Here we present 10Be and 36Cl data measured in ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica. The data consistently show one of the largest 10Be and 36Cl production peaks detected so far, most likely produced by an extreme SEP event that hit Earth 9125 years BP (before present, i.e., before 1950 CE), i.e., 7176 BCE. Using the 36Cl/10Be ratio, we demonstrate that this event was characterized by a very hard energy spectrum and was possibly up to two orders of magnitude larger than any SEP event during the instrumental period. Furthermore, we provide 10Be-based evidence that, contrary to expectations, the SEP event occurred near a solar minimum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara I Paleari
- Department of Geology - Quaternary Sciences, Lund University, 22362, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Florian Mekhaldi
- Department of Geology - Quaternary Sciences, Lund University, 22362, Lund, Sweden
- British Antarctic Survey, Ice Dynamics and Paleoclimate, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Florian Adolphi
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Marcus Christl
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Philip Gautschi
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Beer
- Department of Surface Waters, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Brehm
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Erhardt
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Wacker
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Frank Wilhelms
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Department of Crystallography, Geoscience Centre, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Raimund Muscheler
- Department of Geology - Quaternary Sciences, Lund University, 22362, Lund, Sweden
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Castrillejo M, Witbaard R, Casacuberta N, Richardson CA, Dekker R, Synal HA, Christl M. Unravelling 5 decades of anthropogenic 236U discharge from nuclear reprocessing plants. Sci Total Environ 2020; 717:137094. [PMID: 32062259 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Marine biogenic materials such as corals, shells, or seaweed have long been recognized as recorders of environmental conditions. Here, the bivalve Cerastoderma edule is used for the first time as a recorder of past seawater contamination with anthropogenic uranium, specifically 236U. Several studies have employed the authorized radioactive releases, including 236U, from nuclear reprocessing plants in La Hague, France, into the English Channel, and Sellafield, England, into the Irish Sea, to trace Atlantic waters and to understand recent climate induced circulation changes in the Arctic Ocean. Anthropogenic 236U has emerged over recent years as a new transient tracer to track these changes, but its application has been challenged owing to paucity of fundamental data on the input (timing and amount) of 236U from Sellafield. Here, we present 236U/238U data from bivalve shells collected close to La Hague and Sellafield from two unique shell collections that allow the reconstruction of the historical 236U contamination of seawater since the 1960s, mostly with bi-annual resolution. The novel archive is first validated by comparison with well-documented 236U discharges from La Hague. Then, shells from the Irish Sea are used to reconstruct the regional 236U contamination. Apart from defining new, observationally based 236U input functions that will allow more precise tracer studies in the Arctic Ocean, we find an unexpected peak of 236U releases to the Irish Sea in the 1970s. Using this peak, we provide evidence for a small, but significant recirculation of Irish Sea water into the English Channel. Tracing the 1970s peak should allow extending 236U tracer studies into the South Atlantic Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxi Castrillejo
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH - Zurich, Otto Stern Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Rob Witbaard
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 Ab Den Burg, the Netherlands
| | - Núria Casacuberta
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH - Zurich, Otto Stern Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Environmental Physics, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | | | - Rob Dekker
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 Ab Den Burg, the Netherlands
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH - Zurich, Otto Stern Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Christl
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH - Zurich, Otto Stern Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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8
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Hendriks L, Caseri W, Ferreira ESB, Scherrer NC, Zumbühl S, Küffner M, Hajdas I, Wacker L, Synal HA, Günther D. The Ins and Outs of 14C Dating Lead White Paint for Artworks Application. Anal Chem 2020; 92:7674-7682. [PMID: 32396364 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Lead white is known as one of the oldest pigments in art and can be used as a dating material. Upon production following the Stack process, the 14C isotope of atmospheric carbon dioxide is fixed in the carbonate, and its radiocarbon dating can be used as a proxy for the age of a painting. The previously reported carbonate hydrolysis protocol reaches its limitation when confronted with samples presenting a mixture of carbonates, such as lead carbonate (cerussite or hydrocerussite), calcium carbonate (calcite), and/or calcium magnesium carbonate (dolomite). Thermogravimetric analyses indicate that decomposition of lead carbonate can be achieved at 350 °C in TGA diagrams, as other mineral carbonates only decompose to carbon dioxide at temperatures above 700 °C. Thus, a thermal approach is proposed to separate the various carbonates and isolate the specific 14C signature to the lead carbonate. In practice, however, discrepancies between the measured radiocarbon ages and expected ages were observed. FTIR analyses pointed to the formation of metal carboxylates, an indicator that the organic binder is not inert and plays a role in the dating strategy. Upon drying, oxidation and hydrolysis take place leading to the formation of free fatty acids, which in turn interact with the different carbonates upon heating. Their removal was achieved by introduction of a solvent extraction step prior to the thermal treatment, which was confirmed by GC-MS analyses, and thus, the collected carbon dioxide at 350 °C results can be assigned correctly to the decomposition of the lead white pigment. The proposed procedure was furthermore verified on mixed carbonate-bearing paint samples collected from a Baroque oil painting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hendriks
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH-Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH-Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Walter Caseri
- Department of Materials Science, ETH-Zürich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ester S B Ferreira
- CICS - Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences, TH Köln, University of Applied Sciences, Campus Südstadt, Ubierring 40, 50678 Köln, Germany
| | - Nadim C Scherrer
- HKB - Bern University of Applied Sciences, Fellerstrasse 11, 3027 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Zumbühl
- HKB - Bern University of Applied Sciences, Fellerstrasse 11, 3027 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Markus Küffner
- HKB - Bern University of Applied Sciences, Fellerstrasse 11, 3027 Bern, Switzerland.,SIK-ISEA - Swiss Institute for Art Research, Zollikerstrasse 32, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Irka Hajdas
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH-Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Wacker
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH-Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH-Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Detlef Günther
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH-Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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9
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Hendriks L, Kradolfer S, Lombardo T, Hubert V, Küffner M, Khandekar N, Hajdas I, Synal HA, Hattendorf B, Günther D. Dual isotope system analysis of lead white in artworks. Analyst 2020; 145:1310-1318. [PMID: 31935004 DOI: 10.1039/c9an02346a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Isotopic studies are gaining much interest in heritage science, as they can provide insight into a material's age and provenance. Radiocarbon (14C) dating affords a time frame for the materials being studied, thus providing a historical context, whereas the specific pattern of lead isotope ratios may be used to set geographical constraints on the source of the original materials. Both methods require invasive sampling from the object, and henceforth limits their respective application. With the focus on lead white paint (2PbCO3·Pb(OH)2), in this study we extract the time of production of the pigment from the carbonate anion by radiocarbon dating while its origin is traced by lead isotope analysis on the cation. The methodology was applied to 12 British and 8 Swiss paintings from the 18th to 20th century, with known dates and provenance. The 14C analysis of the lead white in combination with the organic binder and canvas alone places all objects between the 17th and 20th centuries, which is in agreement with their signed date, wheras the lead isotope analysis of all samples are consistent with lead ores from European deposits. In most of the cases the combined results are consistent with the art historical data and prove that isotope analysis is intrinsic to the object. This feasibility study conducted on paintings of known age demonstrates the possibility to maximize the information output from lead white paint, thus increasing the benefits of a single sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hendriks
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
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10
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Querfeld R, Pasi AE, Shozugawa K, Vockenhuber C, Synal HA, Steier P, Steinhauser G. Radionuclides in surface waters around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi NPP one month after the accident: Evidence of significant tritium release into the environment. Sci Total Environ 2019; 689:451-456. [PMID: 31279192 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Following the Fukushima nuclear accident (2011), radionuclides mostly of volatile elements (e.g., 131I, 134,137Cs, 132Te) have been investigated frequently for their presence in the atmosphere, pedosphere, biosphere, and the Pacific Ocean. Smaller releases of radionuclides with intermediate volatility, (e.g., 90Sr), have been reported for soil. However, few reports have been published which targeted the contamination of surface (fresh) waters in Japan soon after the accident. In the present study, 10 surface water samples (collected on April 10, 2011) have been screened for their radionuclide content (3H, 90Sr, 129I, 134Cs, and 137Cs), revealing partly unusually high contamination levels. Especially high tritium levels (184 ± 2 Bq·L-1; the highest levels ever reported in scientific literature after Fukushima) were found in a puddle water sample from close to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The ratios between paddy/puddle water from one location only a few meters apart vary around 1% for 134Cs, 12% for 129I (131I), and around 40% for both 3H and 90Sr. This illustrates the adsorption of radiocesium on natural minerals and radioiodine on organic substances (in the rice paddy), whereas the concentration differences of 3H and 90Sr between the two waters are mainly dilution driven.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Querfeld
- Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Anna-Elina Pasi
- Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany; Radiochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katsumi Shozugawa
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | | | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Steier
- Faculty of Physics, Isotope Research and Nuclear Physics, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Steinhauser
- Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany.
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Christl M, Guérin N, Totland M, Gagné A, Kazi Z, Burrell S, Synal HA. A novel chronometry technique for dating irradiated uranium fuels using Cm isotopic ratios. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-019-06767-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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12
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Büntgen U, Wacker L, Galván JD, Arnold S, Arseneault D, Baillie M, Beer J, Bernabei M, Bleicher N, Boswijk G, Bräuning A, Carrer M, Ljungqvist FC, Cherubini P, Christl M, Christie DA, Clark PW, Cook ER, D'Arrigo R, Davi N, Eggertsson Ó, Esper J, Fowler AM, Gedalof Z, Gennaretti F, Grießinger J, Grissino-Mayer H, Grudd H, Gunnarson BE, Hantemirov R, Herzig F, Hessl A, Heussner KU, Jull AJT, Kukarskih V, Kirdyanov A, Kolář T, Krusic PJ, Kyncl T, Lara A, LeQuesne C, Linderholm HW, Loader NJ, Luckman B, Miyake F, Myglan VS, Nicolussi K, Oppenheimer C, Palmer J, Panyushkina I, Pederson N, Rybníček M, Schweingruber FH, Seim A, Sigl M, Churakova Sidorova O, Speer JH, Synal HA, Tegel W, Treydte K, Villalba R, Wiles G, Wilson R, Winship LJ, Wunder J, Yang B, Young GHF. Tree rings reveal globally coherent signature of cosmogenic radiocarbon events in 774 and 993 CE. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3605. [PMID: 30190505 PMCID: PMC6127282 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06036-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Though tree-ring chronologies are annually resolved, their dating has never been independently validated at the global scale. Moreover, it is unknown if atmospheric radiocarbon enrichment events of cosmogenic origin leave spatiotemporally consistent fingerprints. Here we measure the 14C content in 484 individual tree rings formed in the periods 770–780 and 990–1000 CE. Distinct 14C excursions starting in the boreal summer of 774 and the boreal spring of 993 ensure the precise dating of 44 tree-ring records from five continents. We also identify a meridional decline of 11-year mean atmospheric radiocarbon concentrations across both hemispheres. Corroborated by historical eye-witness accounts of red auroras, our results suggest a global exposure to strong solar proton radiation. To improve understanding of the return frequency and intensity of past cosmic events, which is particularly important for assessing the potential threat of space weather on our society, further annually resolved 14C measurements are needed. Despite their extensive use, the absolute dating of tree-ring chronologies has not hitherto been independently validated at the global scale. Here, the identification of distinct 14C excursions in 484 individual tree rings, enable the authors to confirm the dating of 44 dendrochronologies from five continents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK. .,Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland. .,Global Change Research Institute CAS, 603 00, Brno, Czech Republic. .,Department of Geography, Masaryk University, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Lukas Wacker
- Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - J Diego Galván
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Arnold
- Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Arseneault
- Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, University of Québec in Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Michael Baillie
- School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University, Belfast, BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Jürg Beer
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Eawag, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Bernabei
- CNR-IVALSA, Trees and Timber Institute, 38010, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Niels Bleicher
- Competence Center for Underwater Archaeology and Dendrochronology, Office for Urbanism, City of Zurich, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gretel Boswijk
- School of Environment, University of Auckland, 1010, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Achim Bräuning
- Institute of Geography, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Marco Carrer
- Department Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali, University of Padova, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Fredrik Charpentier Ljungqvist
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK.,Department of History, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden.,Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paolo Cherubini
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Christl
- Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Duncan A Christie
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile.,Center for Climate and Resilience Research, Blanco Encalada 2002, 8370449, Santiago, Chile
| | - Peter W Clark
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
| | - Edward R Cook
- Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964-8000, USA
| | - Rosanne D'Arrigo
- Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964-8000, USA
| | - Nicole Davi
- Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964-8000, USA.,Department of Environmental Science, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, 07470, USA
| | | | - Jan Esper
- Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anthony M Fowler
- School of Environment, University of Auckland, 1010, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ze'ev Gedalof
- Department of Geography, University of Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Fabio Gennaretti
- AgroParisTech, INRA, Université de Lorraine, 54000, Nancy, France
| | - Jussi Grießinger
- Institute of Geography, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Henri Grissino-Mayer
- Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-0925, USA
| | - Håkan Grudd
- Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Björn E Gunnarson
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rashit Hantemirov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, 620144, Russia
| | - Franz Herzig
- Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection, 80539, München, Germany
| | - Amy Hessl
- Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University, WV, 26505-6300, USA
| | | | - A J Timothy Jull
- Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.,AMS Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.,Isotope Climatology and Environmental Research Centre, Institute of Nuclear Research, H-4001, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Vladimir Kukarskih
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, 620144, Russia
| | - Alexander Kirdyanov
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK.,Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, 660036, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Humanities, Siberian Federal University, 660041, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Tomáš Kolář
- Global Change Research Institute CAS, 603 00, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Wood Science, Mendel University in Brno, 61300, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Paul J Krusic
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK.,Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.,Navarino Environmental Observatory, GR-24001, Messinia, Greece
| | - Tomáš Kyncl
- Global Change Research Institute CAS, 603 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Antonio Lara
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile.,Center for Climate and Resilience Research, Blanco Encalada 2002, 8370449, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos LeQuesne
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Hans W Linderholm
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Neil J Loader
- Department of Geography, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Brian Luckman
- Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Fusa Miyake
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Vladimir S Myglan
- Department of Humanities, Siberian Federal University, 660041, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Kurt Nicolussi
- Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Clive Oppenheimer
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK
| | - Jonathan Palmer
- Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Irina Panyushkina
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Neil Pederson
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, 01366, USA
| | - Michal Rybníček
- Global Change Research Institute CAS, 603 00, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Wood Science, Mendel University in Brno, 61300, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Andrea Seim
- Chair of Forest Growth and Dendroecology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Sigl
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Olga Churakova Sidorova
- Department of Humanities, Siberian Federal University, 660041, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - James H Speer
- Department of Earth and Environmental Systems, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, 47809, USA
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Willy Tegel
- Chair of Forest Growth and Dendroecology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Archaeological Service Kanton Thurgau (AATG), 8510, Frauenfeld, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Treydte
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Ricardo Villalba
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales, IANIGLA - CONICET, Mendoza, CP 330, 5500, Argentina
| | - Greg Wiles
- Department of of Earth Sciences, The College of Wooster, OH, 44691, USA
| | - Rob Wilson
- Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964-8000, USA.,School of Geography and Geosciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AJ, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Jan Wunder
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,School of Environment, University of Auckland, 1010, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 730000, Lanzhou, China
| | - Giles H F Young
- Department of Geography, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
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Christl M, Casacuberta N, Lachner J, Herrmann J, Synal HA. Anthropogenic 236U in the North Sea - A Closer Look into a Source Region. Environ Sci Technol 2017; 51:12146-12153. [PMID: 28990772 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study we present new seawater data of 236U and 238U sampled in the North Sea in 2010. The North Sea has been and is still receiving a considerable input of anthropogenic radionuclides from nuclear reprocessing facilities located in La Hague (France) and Sellafield (Great Britain). It therefore represents an important source region for oceanographic tracer studies using the transient signal of anthropogenic 236U. A proper knowledge of the sources of 236U is an essential prerequisite for such tracer studies. The 236U data set presented in this study covers the transition regions of the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, to the Baltic Sea, and upstream the Elbe River. It is discussed in the context of available 236U data from the literature. Our results show that both 236U concentrations and 236U/238U ratios in surface waters of the North Sea can be explained by simple binary mixing models implying that 236U behaves conservatively in seawater. We further show that the input of 236U by the Elbe River is negligible, while there might be a maximum input of 12 g/yr via the Baltic Sea. The results of the mixing models suggest that this still unidentified 236U contamination could be supplied by fresh water input.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jürgen Herrmann
- Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie, 22589 Hamburg, Germany
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14
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Casacuberta N, Christl M, Buesseler KO, Lau Y, Vockenhuber C, Castrillejo M, Synal HA, Masqué P. Potential Releases of 129I, 236U, and Pu Isotopes from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plants to the Ocean from 2013 to 2015. Environ Sci Technol 2017; 51:9826-9835. [PMID: 28726397 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
After the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident, many efforts were put into the determination of the presence of 137Cs, 134Cs, 131I, and other gamma-emitting radionuclides in the ocean, but minor work was done regarding the monitoring of less volatile radionuclides, pure beta-ray emitters or simply radionuclides with very long half-lives. In this study we document the temporal evolution of 129I, 236U, and Pu isotopes (239Pu and 240Pu) in seawater sampled during four different cruises performed 2, 3, and 4 years after the accident, and we compare the results to 137Cs collected at the same stations and depths. Our results show that concentrations of 129I are systematically above the nuclear weapon test levels at stations located close to the FDNPP, with a maximum value of 790 × 107 at·kg-1, that exceeds all previously reported 129I concentrations in the Pacific Ocean. Yet, the total amount of 129I released after the accident in the time 2011-2015 was calculated from the 129I/137Cs ratio of the ongoing 137Cs releases and estimated to be about 100 g (which adds to the 1 kg released during the accident in 2011). No clear evidence of Fukushima-derived 236U and Pu isotopes has been found in this study, although further monitoring is encouraged to elucidate the origin of the highest 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio of 0.293 ± 0.028 we found close to FDNPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Casacuberta
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich , CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Environmental Physics, ETH Zürich , CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Christl
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich , CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ken O Buesseler
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution , Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - YikSze Lau
- Lancaster Environmental Center, University of Lancaster , Lancaster LA1 4YQ, England
| | | | - Maxi Castrillejo
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals & Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich , CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pere Masqué
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals & Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Science, Edith Cowan University , Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
- Oceans Institute & School of Physics, The University of Western Australia , Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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15
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Welte C, Wacker L, Hattendorf B, Christl M, Fohlmeister J, Breitenbach SFM, Robinson LF, Andrews AH, Freiwald A, Farmer JR, Yeman C, Synal HA, Günther D. Laser Ablation - Accelerator Mass Spectrometry: An Approach for Rapid Radiocarbon Analyses of Carbonate Archives at High Spatial Resolution. Anal Chem 2016; 88:8570-6. [PMID: 27396439 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b01659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A new instrumental setup, combining laser ablation (LA) with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), has been investigated for the online radiocarbon ((14)C) analysis of carbonate records. Samples were placed in an in-house designed LA-cell, and CO2 gas was produced by ablation using a 193 nm ArF excimer laser. The (14)C/(12)C abundance ratio of the gas was then analyzed by gas ion source AMS. This configuration allows flexible and time-resolved acquisition of (14)C profiles in contrast to conventional measurements, where only the bulk composition of discrete samples can be obtained. Three different measurement modes, i.e. discrete layer analysis, survey scans, and precision scans, were investigated and compared using a stalagmite sample and, subsequently, applied to terrestrial and marine carbonates. Depending on the measurement mode, a precision of typically 1-5% combined with a spatial resolution of 100 μm can be obtained. Prominent (14)C features, such as the atomic bomb (14)C peak, can be resolved by scanning several cm of a sample within 1 h. Stalagmite, deep-sea coral, and mollusk shell samples yielded comparable signal intensities, which again were comparable to those of conventional gas measurements. The novel LA-AMS setup allowed rapid scans on a variety of sample materials with high spatial resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Welte
- Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, D-CHAB, ETHZ , Vladimir-Prelog Weg 1, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETHZ , Otto-Stern Weg 5, HPK, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Wacker
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETHZ , Otto-Stern Weg 5, HPK, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bodo Hattendorf
- Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, D-CHAB, ETHZ , Vladimir-Prelog Weg 1, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Christl
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETHZ , Otto-Stern Weg 5, HPK, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jens Fohlmeister
- Institute for Environmental Physics, University of Heidelberg , D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Laura F Robinson
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TH, U.K
| | - Allen H Andrews
- NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818, United States
| | - André Freiwald
- Senckenberg am Meer, Abteilung Meeresforschung, D-26382 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Jesse R Farmer
- Earth and Environmental Sciences and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University , Palisades, New York 10964, United States
| | - Christiane Yeman
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETHZ , Otto-Stern Weg 5, HPK, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETHZ , Otto-Stern Weg 5, HPK, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Detlef Günther
- Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, D-CHAB, ETHZ , Vladimir-Prelog Weg 1, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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16
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Dai X, Christl M, Kramer-Tremblay S, Synal HA. Determination of Atto- to Femtogram Levels of Americium and Curium Isotopes in Large-Volume Urine Samples by Compact Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2016; 88:2832-7. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b04546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiongxin Dai
- Canadian Nuclear
Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario K0J 1J0, Canada
| | - Marcus Christl
- Laboratory
of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory
of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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17
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Steinhauser G, Niisoe T, Harada KH, Shozugawa K, Schneider S, Synal HA, Walther C, Christl M, Nanba K, Ishikawa H, Koizumi A. Post-Accident Sporadic Releases of Airborne Radionuclides from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Site. Environ Sci Technol 2015; 49:14028-14035. [PMID: 26448161 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b03155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The Fukushima nuclear accident (March 11, 2011) caused the widespread contamination of Japan by direct deposition of airborne radionuclides. Analysis of weekly air filters has revealed sporadic releases of radionuclides long after the Fukushima Daiichi reactors were stabilized. One major discharge was observed in August 2013 in monitoring stations north of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP). During this event, an air monitoring station in this previously scarcely contaminated area suddenly reported (137)Cs activity levels that were 30-fold above the background. Together with atmospheric dispersion and deposition simulation, radionuclide analysis in soil indicated that debris removal operations conducted on the FDNPP site on August 19, 2013 are likely to be responsible for this late release of radionuclides. One soil sample in the center of the simulated plume exhibited a high (90)Sr contamination (78 ± 8 Bq kg(-1)) as well as a high (90)Sr/(137)Cs ratio (0.04); both phenomena have usually been observed only in very close vicinity around the FDNPP. We estimate that through the resuspension of highly contaminated particles in the course of these earthmoving operations, gross (137)Cs activity of ca. 2.8 × 10(11) Bq has been released.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Steinhauser
- Colorado State University , Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
- Leibniz Universität Hannover , Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, D-30419 Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University , Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
| | - Tamon Niisoe
- Research Division of Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Disasters, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University , Uji 6110011, Japan
| | - Kouji H Harada
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine , Kyoto 6068501, Japan
| | - Katsumi Shozugawa
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo , Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Stephanie Schneider
- Leibniz Universität Hannover , Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, D-30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich , CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Clemens Walther
- Leibniz Universität Hannover , Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, D-30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Marcus Christl
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich , CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kenji Nanba
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University , Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
| | - Hirohiko Ishikawa
- Research Division of Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Disasters, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University , Uji 6110011, Japan
| | - Akio Koizumi
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine , Kyoto 6068501, Japan
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18
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Mekhaldi F, Muscheler R, Adolphi F, Aldahan A, Beer J, McConnell JR, Possnert G, Sigl M, Svensson A, Synal HA, Welten KC, Woodruff TE. Multiradionuclide evidence for the solar origin of the cosmic-ray events of ᴀᴅ 774/5 and 993/4. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8611. [PMID: 26497389 PMCID: PMC4639793 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of two large peaks in the atmospheric radiocarbon (14C) concentration at AD 774/5 and 993/4 is still debated. There is consensus, however, that these features can only be explained by an increase in the atmospheric 14C production rate due to an extraterrestrial event. Here we provide evidence that these peaks were most likely produced by extreme solar events, based on several new annually resolved 10Be measurements from both Arctic and Antarctic ice cores. Using ice core 36Cl data in pair with 10Be, we further show that these solar events were characterized by a very hard energy spectrum with high fluxes of solar protons with energy above 100 MeV. These results imply that the larger of the two events (AD 774/5) was at least five times stronger than any instrumentally recorded solar event. Our findings highlight the importance of studying the possibility of severe solar energetic particle events. Natural spikes in radiocarbon have been identified at ᴀᴅ 774/5 and 993/4 and attributed to exceptional cosmic-ray events, although the cause remains uncertain. Here, the authors analyse records recovered from ice cores and suggest these spikes originated from extreme solar particle events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Mekhaldi
- Department of Geology-Quaternary Sciences, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Raimund Muscheler
- Department of Geology-Quaternary Sciences, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Florian Adolphi
- Department of Geology-Quaternary Sciences, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ala Aldahan
- Department of Geology, United Arab Emirates University, 17551 Al Ain, UAE.,Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jürg Beer
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Joseph R McConnell
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada 89512, USA
| | - Göran Possnert
- Tandem Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michael Sigl
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada 89512, USA.,Laboratory for Radiochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Anders Svensson
- Center for Ice and Climate, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kees C Welten
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Thomas E Woodruff
- PRIME Laboratory, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
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19
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Schild A, Herter-Aeberli I, Fattinger K, Anderegg S, Schulze-König T, Vockenhuber C, Synal HA, Bischoff-Ferrari H, Weber P, von Eckardstein A, Zimmermann MB. Oral Vitamin D Supplements Increase Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Postmenopausal Women and Reduce Bone Calcium Flux Measured by 41Ca Skeletal Labeling. J Nutr 2015; 145:2333-40. [PMID: 26338885 DOI: 10.3945/jn.115.215004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ensuring adequate vitamin D status in older adults may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration is the recommended biomarker of vitamin D status, but the optimal serum 25(OH)D concentration for bone health in postmenopausal women remains unclear. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to apply the highly sensitive (41)Ca skeletal labeling technique and the measurement of urinary (41)Ca:(40)Ca ratios to determine the serum 25(OH)D concentration that has greatest benefit on bone calcium flux in postmenopausal women. METHODS We administered a mean intravenous (41)Ca dose of 870 pmol to healthy postmenopausal women [n = 24, age (mean ± SD): 64 ± 6.0 y] without osteoporosis. After 6 mo, at the nadir of their wintertime serum 25(OH)D status, each of the women sequentially consumed daily oral cholecalciferol supplements of 10, 25, and 50 μg/d (in this order), each for 3 mo. We assessed serum 25(OH)D concentrations monthly and urinary (41)Ca:(40)Ca ratios biweekly. (41)Ca:(40)Ca ratios were measured with low-energy accelerator mass spectrometry. With the use of pharmacokinetic analysis, we determined the effect of varying serum 25(OH)D concentrations on (41)Ca transfer rates. RESULTS At baseline, the mean (95% CI) serum 25(OH)D concentration was 16.2 (13.5, 18.8) μg/L. After the first, second, and third intervention periods, mean (95% CI) serum 25(OH)D increased to 29.8 (27.2, 32.4), 36.9 (34.2, 39.7), and 46.6 (41.2, 52.0) μg/L, respectively. Supplementation was associated with a downward shift in the urinary (41)Ca:(40)Ca ratio compared with the predicted (41)Ca:(40)Ca ratio without vitamin D supplementation. In the model, the most likely site of action of the increase in serum 25(OH)D was transfer from the central compartment to a fast exchanging compartment. At this transfer rate, predicted values were a concentration with half-maximal effect of 2.33 μg/L and an estimate of the maximal effect of 31.7%. After the first, second, and third intervention periods, the mean changes in this transfer rate were +18.0%, +25.7%, and +28.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION In healthy postmenopausal women, increasing serum 25(OH)D primarily affects calcium transfer from the central compartment to a fast exchanging compartment; it is possible that this represents transfer from the extracellular space to the surface of bone. A serum 25(OH)D concentration of ~40 μg/L achieves ~90% of the expected maximal effect on this transfer rate. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01053481.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schild
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospital Bern and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Karin Fattinger
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospital Bern and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Anderegg
- Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health, and
| | | | | | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Heike Bischoff-Ferrari
- Centre on Aging and Mobility, University of Zurich and Waid City Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Geriatric Clinic and
| | - Peter Weber
- Human Nutrition and Health, DSM Nutritional Products, Kaiseraugst, Switzerland; and
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20
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Koning A, Beijers H, Benlliure J, Bersillon O, Blomgren J, Cugnon J, Duijvestijn M, Eudes P, Filges D, Haddad F, Hilaire S, Lebrun C, Lecolley FR, Leray S, Meulders JP, Michel R, Neef R, Nolte R, Olsson N, Ostendorf R, Ramstroem E, Schmidt KH, Schuhmacher H, Slypen I, Synal HA, Weinreich R. HINDAS A European Nuclear Data Program for Accelerator-Driven Systems. J NUCL SCI TECHNOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/00223131.2002.10875308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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21
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Münsterer C, Wacker L, Hattendorf B, Christl M, Koch J, Dietiker R, Synal HA, Günther D. Rapid revelation of radiocarbon records with laser ablation Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Chimia (Aarau) 2014; 68:215-6. [PMID: 24983600 DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2014.215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
By focusing high-intensity laser pulses on carbonate samples carbon dioxide is generated and can be directly introduced into the gas ion source (GIS) of an Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS). This new technique allows rapid radiocarbon analyses at high spatial resolution. The design of the deignated laser ablation cell as well as first results on a stalagmite sample are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Münsterer
- ETH Zurich Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry HCI G 113 Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland; ETH Zurich Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics Schafmattstr. 20, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Lukas Wacker
- ETH Zurich Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics Schafmattstr. 20, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bodo Hattendorf
- ETH Zurich Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry HCI G 113 Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Christl
- ETH Zurich Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics Schafmattstr. 20, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Koch
- ETH Zurich Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry HCI G 113 Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Dietiker
- ETH Zurich Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry HCI G 113 Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- ETH Zurich Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics Schafmattstr. 20, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Detlef Günther
- ETH Zurich Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry HCI G 113 Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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22
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Lachner J, Christl M, Alfimov V, Hajdas I, Kubik PW, Schulze-König T, Wacker L, Synal HA. 41Ca, 14C and 10Be concentrations in coral sand from the Bikini atoll. J Environ Radioact 2014; 129:68-72. [PMID: 24378732 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Revised: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Activation measurements of materials exposed to nuclear bomb explosions are widely used to reconstruct the neutron flux for retrospective dosimetry. In this study the applicability of coral CaCO3 as a biogenic neutron fluence dosimeter is tested. The long-lived radioisotopes (41)Ca, (14)C and (10)Be, which had been produced in nuclear bomb explosions, are measured in several coral sand samples from the Bikini atoll at the 600 kV and 200 kV AMS facilities of ETH Zurich. Elevated concentrations of all studied isotopes are found in a sample from the crater that was initially formed by the high-yield nuclear explosion Castle Bravo in 1954 and that had been used as site for several tests afterward. The observed (14)C concentration is considered too large to originate from neutron irradiation of CaCO3 alone. The relatively low concentration of (10)Be found in the crater sample indicates that production of (10)Be during nuclear bomb testing is generally minor. A simple neutron fluence reconstruction is performed on basis of the (41)Ca/(40)Ca ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Lachner
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Marcus Christl
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vasily Alfimov
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Irka Hajdas
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter W Kubik
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tim Schulze-König
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Wacker
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Arno Synal
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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23
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Schumann D, Kiselev D, Teichmann S, Synal HA, Kubik P. Radiochemical analysis of concrete samples from accelerator waste. RADIOCHIM ACTA 2012. [DOI: 10.1524/ract.2012.1976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
For the decommissioning and disposal of shielding concrete from accelerator facilities, the Swiss Authorities require information on the radionuclide inventory. Besides the easy-to-measure γ-emitters 152Eu, 60Co, 44Sc, 133Ba, 154Eu, 134Cs, 144Ce, 22Na, also long-lived radionuclides emitting α- or β-radiation like 129I, 10Be, 36Cl, 239/240Pu and 238U have to be studied in order to obtain an overview to which extent they are produced and whether they represent a safety issue. In this study, we present the chemical separation and determination of selected radionuclides in shielding concrete from two different positions in the accelerator facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), the BX2 station, which was shut down in 1998, and the environment of the target M station, where the samples were taken in 1985 during reconstruction. The results of the measurements show that in no case the radionuclide content represents a safety risk. The components can be decommissioned corresponding to the Swiss safety regulations.
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24
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Lachner J, Christl M, Bisinger T, Michel R, Synal HA. Isotopic signature of plutonium at Bikini atoll. Appl Radiat Isot 2010; 68:979-83. [PMID: 20167504 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2009] [Revised: 11/04/2009] [Accepted: 01/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Lachner
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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25
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Vuong LT, Ruckle JL, Blood AB, Reid MJ, Wasnich RD, Synal HA, Dueker SR. Use of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry to Measure the Pharmacokinetics and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Concentrations of Zidovudine. J Pharm Sci 2008; 97:2833-43. [PMID: 17854048 DOI: 10.1002/jps.21160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable sensitivity of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is finding many new applications in pharmacology. In this study AMS was used to measure [(14)C]-Zidovudine (ZDV) concentrations at the drug's site of action (peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMCs) following a dose of 520 ng (less than one-millionth of the standard daily dose) to a healthy volunteer. In addition, the pharmacokinetics of this microdose were determined and compared to previously published parameters for therapeutic doses. Microdose ZDV pharmacokinetic parameters fell within reported 95% confidence intervals or standard deviations of most previously published values for therapeutic doses. Blood, urine, stool, saliva, and isolated PBMCs were collected periodically through 96 h postdose and analyzed for ZDV and metabolite concentrations. The results showed that ZDV is rapidly absorbed and eliminated, has one major metabolite, and is sequestered in PBMCs. (14)C mass balance assessments indicated a significant portion of ZDV remained after 96 h with a much prolonged elimination half-life. Results of this study demonstrate the usefulness of microdosing and AMS as a tool for studying the pharmacokinetic characteristics, including PBMC concentrations, of ZDV and underscore the value of AMS as a tool with which to perform pharmacokinetic and mass balance studies using trace amounts of radiolabeled compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le T Vuong
- Vitalea Science, Inc, Woodland, California 95776, USA
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26
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Szidat S, Jenk TM, Synal HA, Kalberer M, Wacker L, Hajdas I, Kasper-Giebl A, Baltensperger U. Contributions of fossil fuel, biomass-burning, and biogenic emissions to carbonaceous aerosols in Zurich as traced by14C. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005jd006590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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27
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López-Gutiérrez JM, García-León M, Schnabel C, Suter M, Synal HA, Szidat S. Wet and dry deposition of 129I in Seville (Spain) measured by accelerator mass spectrometry. J Environ Radioact 2001; 55:269-282. [PMID: 11430675 DOI: 10.1016/s0265-931x(00)00197-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Iodine-129 (T1/2 = 1.57 x 10(7) yr) concentrations have been determined by accelerator mass spectrometry in rainwater samples taken at Seville (southwestern Spain) in 1996 and 1997. This technique allows a reduction in the detection limits for this radionuclide in comparison to radiometric counting and other mass spectrometric methods such as ICP-MS. Typical 129I concentrations range from 4.7 x 10(7) 129I atoms/l (19.2%) to 4.97 x 10(9) 129I atoms/l (5.9%), while 129I depositions are normally in the order of 10(8)-10(10) atoms/m2d. These values agree well with other results obtained for recent rainwater samples collected in Europe. Apart from these, the relationship between 129I deposition and some atmospheric factors has been analyzed, showing the importance of the precipitation rate and the concentration of suspended matter in it.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M López-Gutiérrez
- Dpto. de Fisica Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.
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28
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Lopez-Gutierrez JM, Synal HA, Suter M, Schnabel CH, Garcia-Leon M. Accelerator mass spectrometry as a powerful tool for the determination of 129I in rainwater. Appl Radiat Isot 2000; 53:81-5. [PMID: 10879842 DOI: 10.1016/s0969-8043(00)00116-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
129I is a very long-lived radionuclide (T(1/2) = 15.7 x 10(6) years) that is present in the environment both because of natural and anthropogenic sources. Its environmental interest, for example, as a tracer of geological processes, makes it the research target of a growing scientific community. However, its detection in environmental samples by radiometric methods is very difficult because of its long half-life. In this work, we present the methodology developed for its detection by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) in rainwater.
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29
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López-Gutiérrez JM, García-León M, Schnabel C, Schmidt A, Michel R, Synal HA, Suter M. Determination of 129I in atmospheric samples by accelerator mass spectrometry. Appl Radiat Isot 1999; 51:315-22. [PMID: 10404613 DOI: 10.1016/s0969-8043(98)00201-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
A method for the radiochemical extraction of 129I from atmospheric charcoal filters and its measurement by accelerator mass spectrometry is presented. Either the 129I concentration or the 129I/127I atom ratio can be determined in the sample. With this method, air filters from Seville, in the Southwest of Spain (37.4 degrees N, 6 degrees W) have been analyzed. Sensitivities in the order of 10(4) atoms/m3 for 129I concentrations and 10(-10) for 129I/127I atom ratios are obtained. AMS measurements are performed with the 6 MV tandem accelerator at the ETH-Hönggerberg in Zurich.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M López-Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.
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30
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Schmidt A, Schnabel C, Handl J, Jakob D, Michel R, Synal HA, Lopez JM, Suter M. On the analysis of iodine-129 and iodine-127 in environmental materials by accelerator mass spectrometry and ion chromatography. Sci Total Environ 1998; 223:131-156. [PMID: 9861732 DOI: 10.1016/s0048-9697(98)00309-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Based on a review of literature about the abundances of 129I (T1/2 = 15.7 Ma) in the environment we show that there is a severe lack of knowledge, in particular about natural, pre-nuclear levels. Among the two analytical techniques which are sensitive enough to investigate 129I in environmental materials, namely radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), only AMS is capable of covering the natural, pre-nuclear levels. Since such AMS measurements require chemical separation of iodine from the matrix, a wide variety of separation schemes are necessary for environmental analyses. We report here on such schemes for the analysis of soils, plants and soft tissue. They are applied exemplarily to analyses of soils from the vicinity of Chernobyl. For chemical separations prior to analysis, contamination control and blank analyses are essential. Here, we discuss quality control procedures in detail, both for RNAA and AMS. In the case of AMS we use ion-chromatography (IC) for the determination of stable iodine. The IC analysis is included in the separation schemes for environmental materials. First AMS-analyses of terrestrial biospheric materials demonstrate that natural environmental levels of 129I are lower than previously deduced from investigations using RNAA, but higher than expected from model calculations. AMS is capable of providing the missing knowledge about the radioecology of 129I.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Schmidt
- Zentrum für Strahlenschutz und Radiökologie (ZSR), Universität Hannover, Germany
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