Abstract
The time scale of transport and reaction processes in the ocean can be evaluated using natural radionuclides of different half-lives. In the present study, we evaluated the residence times of particulate reactive radionuclides 7Be, 210Pbxs and 234Th in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary, which is a high turbidity estuary, in June, 2006. The residence times of particulate 7Be, 234Thxs and 210Pbxs in the Changjiang estuary were calculated to be 0.7–20.4, 0.18–4.1 and 0.6–89.8 d, respectively. The obtained residence times of those nuclides are comparable with those of other estuaries and bays. For 234Thxs and 7Be, the residence times decreased with increasing concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM); however, those of 210Pbxs increased. Moreover, scavenging residence times of 234Th and 7Be increased from coast to offshore, while those of 210Pbxs decreased.
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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40976054), the State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research of China (No. 2008KYYW08), and the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Nos. 2002CB412405 and 2006CB400601)
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Huang, D., Du, J., Wu, Y. et al. Sinking of particulates 234Thxs, 7Be and 210Pbxs in the Changjiang estuary, China. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 28, 1152–1159 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-010-9036-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-010-9036-z