Soil and sediment sample analysis for the sequential determination of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides.

A new sequential method for the determination of both natural (U, Th) and anthropogenic (Sr, Cs, Pu, Am) radionuclides has been developed for application to soil and sediment samples. The procedure was optimised using a reference sediment (IAEA-368) and reference soils (IAEA-375 and IAEA-326). Reference materials were first digested using acids (leaching), 'total' acids on hot plate, and acids in microwave in order to compare the different digestion technique.

Transuranic and fission product contamination in lake sediments from an alpine wetland, Boréon (France).

Transuranics and fission products have been measured in lake sediment samples, collected in an alpine wetland, to determine their vertical distribution and calculate inventories. The radionuclides considered are 90Sr, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239/240Pu and 241Am. From the results, a better knowledge of radionuclide accumulation mode and behaviour was obtained.

Evaluation of 137Cs fallout from the Chernobyl accident in a forest soil and its impact on Alpine Lake sediments, Mercantour Massif, S.E. France.

The Boréon area in the Mercantour Massif, S.E. France, was contaminated by radionuclides after the Chernobyl accident in the first days of May 1986.