![Radiological consequences of the extreme flooding on the lower course [An article from: Science of the Total Environment, The]](https://www.ebooknetworking.net/books/B00/0P6/bigB000P6O77G.jpg)
Radiological consequences of the extreme flooding on the lower course [An article from: Science of the Total Environment, The]
Description
This digital document is a journal article from Science of the Total Environment, The, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Description:
In early December 2003 unusual weather conditions led to major flooding of the lower Rhone valley. When it floods, the Rhone carries large masses of solid matter in suspension, which potentially includes associated artificial (anthropogenic) radioactive contaminants from soil drainage in the catchment area and from re-uptake of sedimentary matter that has been contaminated with low-level radioactive liquid effluents from almost twenty nuclear facilities situated along the Rhone valley. A sampling campaign was carried out to investigate the level and spread of both sediment mass and associated radioactive contamination across the flooded areas. An attempt was made to assess the radiological consequences of such an extreme event on contamination of the food chain. Our results show that almost 700,000 tons of sediment was transported onto the floodplain, of which 80% were coarse and fine sands. These materials transferred 6660 MBq of ^1^3^7Cs, 93 MBq of ^2^3^9^+^2^4^0Pu, 13 MBq of ^2^3^8Pu and 204 MBq of ^6^0Co over a surface area of 60 km^2. More than 90% of deposited sediments are concentrated in a 10 km^2 area of agricultural soils, and we estimated that 18% were plowed into the soil. Nevertheless, the level of activity measured in the vegetable crops and milk was not significantly different from the level measured in similar samples from regions that were not affected by the December 2003 floods.
Description:
In early December 2003 unusual weather conditions led to major flooding of the lower Rhone valley. When it floods, the Rhone carries large masses of solid matter in suspension, which potentially includes associated artificial (anthropogenic) radioactive contaminants from soil drainage in the catchment area and from re-uptake of sedimentary matter that has been contaminated with low-level radioactive liquid effluents from almost twenty nuclear facilities situated along the Rhone valley. A sampling campaign was carried out to investigate the level and spread of both sediment mass and associated radioactive contamination across the flooded areas. An attempt was made to assess the radiological consequences of such an extreme event on contamination of the food chain. Our results show that almost 700,000 tons of sediment was transported onto the floodplain, of which 80% were coarse and fine sands. These materials transferred 6660 MBq of ^1^3^7Cs, 93 MBq of ^2^3^9^+^2^4^0Pu, 13 MBq of ^2^3^8Pu and 204 MBq of ^6^0Co over a surface area of 60 km^2. More than 90% of deposited sediments are concentrated in a 10 km^2 area of agricultural soils, and we estimated that 18% were plowed into the soil. Nevertheless, the level of activity measured in the vegetable crops and milk was not significantly different from the level measured in similar samples from regions that were not affected by the December 2003 floods.
