Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4hhp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-11T17:27:46.665Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

14C in the Environment of Swiss Nuclear Installations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Heinz Hugo Loosli  and
Hans Oeschger
Heinz Hugo Loosli
Affiliation:
Physikalisches Institut der Universität, Sidlerstrasse 5 CH–3012 Bern, Switzerland
Hans Oeschger
Affiliation:
Physikalisches Institut der Universität, Sidlerstrasse 5 CH–3012 Bern, Switzerland
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The results of a 10-year survey of 14C content in tree leaves from the vicinity of Swiss nuclear installations are reported. The interpretation is based on the results from a reference station showing a systematic decrease from δ14C = +350 in 1977 to ca 4–190 in 1987. Excess activities of up to ca 100 are observed in the vicinity of nuclear power plants which are compatible with release rates and dilution calculations. A higher excess of up to 1400 is measured in the close vicinity of a small research plant which releases the activity on top of the roof. The determined decrease of the activity with distance can be described by a power law with ca −1.4 in the exponent. Additional doses of 14C to plants and population from excess 14C activities are estimated to be negligible compared to natural doses.

Type
III. Global 14C Variations
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 31 , Issue 3: June 20-25, 1988 Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia , 1989 , pp. 747 - 753
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

KUeR, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1988, Annual reports of the Federal Commission for the Survey of Radioactivity to the Swiss Government: Fribourg, O Huber, ed.Google Scholar
Levin, I, Kromer, B, Barabas, M and Münnich, K O, 1988, Environmental distribution and long-term dispersion of reactor 14CO2 around two German nuclear power plants: Health Physics, v 54, no. 2, p 149–156.Google Scholar
Levin, I, Kromer, B, Schoch-Fischer, H, Bruns, M, Münnich, M, Berdau, D, Vogel, J C and Münnich, K O, 1985, 25 years of trophospheric 14C observations in central Europe: Radiocarbon, v 27, no. 1, 1–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levin, I, Münnich, K O and Weiss, W, 1980, The effect of anthropogenic CO2 and 14C sources on the distribution of 14C in the atmosphere, in Stuiver, M and Kra, R S, eds, Internatl 14C conf, 10th, Proc: Radiocarbon, v 22, no. 2, p 379–391.Google Scholar
Loosli, H, Schriber, G, Moell, M, Oeschger, H and Riesen, T, 1987, C-14 activity measurements in tree leaves from the vicinity of Swiss nuclear power stations: Jahrestagung des Fachverbandes für Strahlenschutz, 14th, Lausanne, 30 Sept – 2 Oct 1981, Proc, p 348–355.Google Scholar
Loosli, H and Weiss, W, 1988, Weshalb kein ursächlicher Zusammenhang zwischen den Radioaktivitätsabgaben aus Kernkraftwerken und den Waldschäden besteht: Jahrestagung des Fachverbandes für Strahlenschutz, 19th, Salzburg, 15–19 Sept, Proc, p 248–262.Google Scholar
Turner, D B, 1970, Workbook of atmospheric dispersion estimates: Ed Environmental Protection Agency, no. AP-26, March 1972.Google Scholar