Variation in airborne (134)Cs, (137)Cs, particulate (131)I and (7)Be maximum activities at high-altitude European locations after the arrival of Fukushima-labeled air masses.

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Variation in airborne (134)Cs, (137)Cs, particulate (131)I and (7)Be maximum activities at high-altitude European locations after the arrival of Fukushima-labeled air masses.

J Environ Radioact. 2016 Oct;162-163:14-22

Authors: Masson O, Bieringer J, Brattich E, Dalheimer A, Estier S, Penev I, Ringer W, Schlosser C, Steinkopff T, Steinmann P, Tositti L, Van Beek P, Vismes-Ott A

Abstract
The Fukushima-labeled air mass arrival, and later the cesium-134 ((134)Cs), cesium-137 ((137)Cs) and particulate iodine-131 (hereafter noted (131)Ip) maximum levels were registered in Europe at different dates depending on the location. Most of those data were obtained at low-altitude sampling areas. Here, we compare the airborne levels registered at different high-altitude European locations (from 850 m to about 3500 m). The integrated (137)Cs activity concentration was not uniform with regard to the altitude even after a long travel time/distance from Japan. Moreover, the relation of integrated (137)Cs vs. altitude showed a linear decrease up to an altitude of about 3000 m. A similar trend was noticed for (131)Ip (particulate fraction) while it increased above 3000 m. Comparison with (7)Be activity concentration showed that, as far as the high altitude location is concerned, the (137)Cs and (134)Cs maximum concentrations corresponded to the (7)Be maximum, suggesting downdraft movements from high tropospheric or stratospheric layers to be responsible for (137,134)Cs increase and peak values. This was also confirmed by high potential vorticity and low relative humidity registered during the peak values.

PMID: 27214283 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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