Abstract
The 238U, 226Ra, 210Pb, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs activity concentrations in sand, soil, sediments, and Baccharis trimera were determined by gamma spectrometry. Gross alpha—beta activity and 226Ra, 228Ra, and 210Pb activity concentrations in water were also evaluated. The radionuclide mobility between compartments was assessed, and the transfer factor between soil and vegetation was calculated. In general, 238U series were not in secular equilibrium with 226Ra loss and 210Pb enrichment. The 226Ra, 228Ra, and 210Pb activity concentrations in water were below the detection limit in all analyzed samples. The 210Pb, 40K, and 137Cs activity concentrations in Baccharis trimera and the transfer factor from soil were quantified in different seasons. The 210Pb transfer factor ranged from 0.41 to 2.33, as affected by precipitation. Finally, 137Cs could only be identified in samples collected in winter. This work provides a radiological condition baseline of the region of Barra de Valizas—Aguas Dulces, and it will be useful for assessing future effects due to human impact.
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Noguera, A., Azcune, G., Bentos Pereira, H. et al. Radionuclide distribution in the Barra de Valizas—Aguas Dulces Region, Uruguay. Environ Earth Sci 81, 195 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10318-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10318-8