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222Rn and 210Pb in the Arctic summer air

Samuelsson, Christer LU ; Hallstadius, Lars ; Persson, Bertil LU orcid ; Hedvall, Robert LU ; Holm, Elis LU and Forkman, Bengt LU (1986) In Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 3(1). p.35-54
Abstract

As part of an extensive air chemistry programme, during summer 1980, on board the Swedish ice-breaker 'Ymer', levels of 222Rn (radon) and its long-lived daughters 210Pb and 210Po were measured. The radon was trapped on charcoal and the long-lived daugther products sampled on filters on a daily basis. In addition, short-lived progenies were followed continuously on the filters in order to achieve a time resolution of about one hour. The concentrations of radon and 210Pb in the Arctic summer air north of latitude 75° N averaged 75 ± 21 (1 sd) and 0·075 ± 0·028 mBqm-3, r respectively. During a two week period of persistent polar winds, the mean radon concentration was 19 ±5 mBq... (More)

As part of an extensive air chemistry programme, during summer 1980, on board the Swedish ice-breaker 'Ymer', levels of 222Rn (radon) and its long-lived daughters 210Pb and 210Po were measured. The radon was trapped on charcoal and the long-lived daugther products sampled on filters on a daily basis. In addition, short-lived progenies were followed continuously on the filters in order to achieve a time resolution of about one hour. The concentrations of radon and 210Pb in the Arctic summer air north of latitude 75° N averaged 75 ± 21 (1 sd) and 0·075 ± 0·028 mBqm-3, r respectively. During a two week period of persistent polar winds, the mean radon concentration was 19 ±5 mBq m-3. During such 'Arctic background' conditions, radon exhalation from the sea may contribute significantly to the measured radon-in-air concentration. It is shown that steady-state equilibrium models, applied to an air mass over the sea, overstimate the aerosol residence-time calculated from activity ratios. Time-dependent calculations indicate a mean aerosol residence time of 4 to 7 d in Arctic air. Good agreement is observed between radon levels and the time since the air mass left larger areas. Both the 222Rn and the long-lived daughter measurements are insensitive to contamination from ship and local settlement.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
volume
3
issue
1
pages
20 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:0022554343
ISSN
0265-931X
DOI
10.1016/0265-931X(86)90048-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fe6f4ef7-dd39-4e9c-a8f1-916c83108391
date added to LUP
2020-05-07 21:20:16
date last changed
2021-01-03 06:49:07
@article{fe6f4ef7-dd39-4e9c-a8f1-916c83108391,
  abstract     = {{<p>As part of an extensive air chemistry programme, during summer 1980, on board the Swedish ice-breaker 'Ymer', levels of <sup>222</sup>Rn (radon) and its long-lived daughters <sup>210</sup>Pb and <sup>210</sup>Po were measured. The radon was trapped on charcoal and the long-lived daugther products sampled on filters on a daily basis. In addition, short-lived progenies were followed continuously on the filters in order to achieve a time resolution of about one hour. The concentrations of radon and <sup>210</sup>Pb in the Arctic summer air north of latitude 75° N averaged 75 ± 21 (1 sd) and 0·075 ± 0·028 mBqm<sup>-3</sup>, r respectively. During a two week period of persistent polar winds, the mean radon concentration was 19 ±5 mBq m<sup>-3</sup>. During such 'Arctic background' conditions, radon exhalation from the sea may contribute significantly to the measured radon-in-air concentration. It is shown that steady-state equilibrium models, applied to an air mass over the sea, overstimate the aerosol residence-time calculated from activity ratios. Time-dependent calculations indicate a mean aerosol residence time of 4 to 7 d in Arctic air. Good agreement is observed between radon levels and the time since the air mass left larger areas. Both the <sup>222</sup>Rn and the long-lived daughter measurements are insensitive to contamination from ship and local settlement.</p>}},
  author       = {{Samuelsson, Christer and Hallstadius, Lars and Persson, Bertil and Hedvall, Robert and Holm, Elis and Forkman, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{0265-931X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{35--54}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Environmental Radioactivity}},
  title        = {{<sup>222</sup>Rn and <sup>210</sup>Pb in the Arctic summer air}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0265-931X(86)90048-2}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/0265-931X(86)90048-2}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{1986}},
}