Long-term time series and activity size distribution of beryllium-7 in the atmospheric environment time series and activity size distribution of iodine-131 in Austria after the Fukushima NPP accident

Competence Centre for Radioecology and Radon (CC-RARA), Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Wieningerstrasse 8, 4020 Linz, Austria

Abstract

In the framework of the Austrian federal monitoring programme of the environment and food stuffs radioactivity in air has been measured for many years. High volume aerosol samplers at different locations in Austria collect aerosols on filter material. After a sampling period of one week the filters are measured routinely with high resolution gamma spectrometry. One sampler is located at a high-altitude Alpine station at 3106 m. In addition, a high volume cascade impactor with six impactor stages (Dp, 50 cut-points at 10.2, 4.2, 2.1, 1.4, 0.73, 0.41 μm, and backup filter) is in operation at the sampling site in Linz. Damaged by a tsunami, from 12 March 2011 on radionuclides have been released by the Fukushima nuclear power plant (Japan) into the atmosphere and the sea. Contaminated air masses were transported across the Pacific and North America to Europe and were detected by the national monitoring network in Austria as well as in many other countries. In this poster we present the long-term time series and activity size distribution of Be-7 in air. Because of its actuality the time series of gaseous and particulate fraction and the activity size distribution of I-131 in Austria after the Fukushima NPP accident on 11 March 2011 are given.