Atmospheric radionuclide concentrations measured by Pacific Northwest Laboratory since 1961 Page: 2 of 265
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ATMOSPHERIC RAOIONUCLIDE CONCENTRATIONS MEASURED
BY PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORY SINCE 1961
ABSTRACT
The atmospheric concentrations of a wide spectrum of radionuclides pro-
duced by nuclear weapons, nuclear reactors, cosmic rays, radon and thoron
decay and the SNAP-9A burn-up (238Pu) have been measured at Richland, Wash-
ington, since 1961; at Barrow, Alaska, since 1964; and at other stations for
shorter periods of time. Following the U.S.A.- U.S.S.R. test series of 1961-62
the concentrations of the longer lived nuclear weapons radionuclides reached a
maximum in the spring of 1963. The concentrations then decreased until 1967,
when the Chinese conducted their first high-yield atmospheric nuclear test.
In recent years, the frequency of high-yield Chinese tests has decreased, so
by 1979 the average 137Cs (30 yr) concentration had fallen to 1.3% of the
1963 concentration. However, in October of 1980 the Chinese conducted a fairly
high-yield test, so the concentrations will increase again in the spring of
1981.
The measurement of atmospheric radionculide concentrations during the
past several years has produced considerable valuable information on the rates
of atmospheric mixing and deposition processes which can be used to predict
the behavior of other particulate pollutants. The measurements have shown,
for example, that the ground-level concentrations of radionuclides released
into the stratosphere increase to a maximum each spring and eventually begin
to decrease with an 11-month half-time. Only the time delays before the
appearance at ground-level and before the beginning of the concentration
decrease depend upon the release location in the stratosphere, with middle-
and high-latitude lower stratospheric releases showing the shortest delay
time, and equational upper stratospheric releases showing the longest delay
time. The concentrations of cosmogenic and nuclear weapons radionculides
averaged more than twice as high at Richland, Washington, than at stations at
about the same latitude on the coast of Washington because of vertical mixingiii
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Young, J. A. & Thomas, C. W. Atmospheric radionuclide concentrations measured by Pacific Northwest Laboratory since 1961, report, March 1, 1981; Richland, Washington. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1200775/m1/2/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.