Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-5r2nc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-11T06:08:10.653Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Use of 14C in Natural Materials to Establish the Average Gaseous Dispersion Patterns of Releases from Nuclear Installations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

R L Otlet ,
A J Walker  and
H Longley
R L Otlet
Affiliation:
Low Level Measurements Laboratory, AERE, Harwell, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RA, UK
A J Walker
Affiliation:
Low Level Measurements Laboratory, AERE, Harwell, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RA, UK
H Longley
Affiliation:
Environmental Section, British Nuclear Fuels Ltd, Sellafield, Cumbria, CA20 1PF, UK
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The Harwell Low Level measurements Laboratory has been measuring a variety of natural materials from locations close to United Kingdom nuclear installations since 1977. The measurements are made first, to establish the past effects of releases to the atmosphere of 14C as observed from individual tree rings and second, to establish dispersion contours averaged over extended periods. The main study area has been in Cumbria, around the BNFL nuclear installation at Sellafield. 14C, which can be measured to good precision even at values close to the normal natural levels, provides a powerful technique for the provision of practical experimental values much wanted for theoretical dispersion models.

Type
VI. Anthropogenic 14C Variations
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 25 , Issue 2: 11th International Radiocarbon Conference , 1983 , pp. 593 - 602
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

Barrette, L, Lasalle, P, Martel, Y, and Samson, C, 1980, Variations of 14C in oats grown from 1957 to 1978 in Quebec, in : Radiocarbon, v 22, no. 2, p 410–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baxter, MS, Ergin, M, and Walton, A, 1969, Glasgow university radiocarbon measurements I: Radiocarbon, v 11, p 43–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, RH, 1979, A model for short and medium range dispersion of radionuclides released to the atmosphere: NRPB-R91, London HMSO, Nat Radiol Protection BdGoogle Scholar
ICRP Pub 26, 1977, Internatl Comm on Radiol Protection, Annals of the ICRP, v 1, no. 3.Google Scholar
Kramer, PJ and Kozlowski, TT, 1960, Physiology of trees: New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co, p 150–159.Google Scholar
Levin, I, Münnich, KO, and Weiss, W, 1980, The effect of anthropogenic CO2 and 14C sources on the distribution of 14C in the atmosphere, in : Radiocarbon, v 22, no. 2, p 379–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sayre, EV, Harbottle, G, Stoenner, RW, Otlet, RL, and Evans, GV, 1981, The use of small gas proportional counters for the carbon-14 measurement of very small samples, in : Vienna, IAEA, p 393–408.Google Scholar
Vogel, JC and Marais, M, 1971, Pretoria radiocarbon dates I: Radiocarbon, v 13, p 378–399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar