Advances on the determination of atmospheric 129I by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)

Abstract

129I is a long-life (T1/2 = 15.7 × 106 years) radionuclide whose presence in the environment has increased strongly since the beginning of the nuclear age. Its great potential as a radioactive tracer has been shown in the literature. However, data in the different compartments are scarce, so its behaviour in the environment is still not well known. One of the reasons of this situation is that the only technique able to detect 129I levels in zones not directly affected by artificial sources is accelerator mass spectrometry. In this work, following previous studies in atmospheric samples (rainwater and gaseous samples), we present results on the presence of 129I in aerosols in Southern Spain. The isotopic ratio 129I/127I has been measured in aerosol filters from high volume samplers with a monthly resolution during years 2001 and 2002. Results show marked variations in short time scales. No short term correlation with the gaseous 129I discharges of the two main nuclear fuel reprocessing plants (Sellafield and La Hague) can be deduced. However, a quite clear relationship between these emissions and the 129I levels in this and other types of atmospheric samples previously studied at longer time scales can be demonstrated. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.