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环境中天然钚(Pu)同位素和137Cs放射性核素的浓度很低,大部分是通过核武器试验、核事故和核燃料后处理释放到环境中[1]. 自全球沉降或其它来源进入水环境后,Pu同位素和137Cs会被水体中的颗粒物吸附而蓄积于沉积物中,其垂直分布可完好保存于沉积序列中,沉积序列中的放射性核素活度反映了各层在沉积时的大气沉降量或其它来源的输入通量,使得沉积物的钚同位素和137Cs的垂直分布与大气沉降或重大环境变化事件密切相关,由此Pu同位素和137Cs在沉积物中的峰值及其它特异值可作为时标定年[2-5]. 同时,137Cs和239+240Pu在沉积物中的浓度和垂直分布特征,除广泛用于定年及评估海洋沉积物的沉积速率外,还可用于考察和评价它们在不同环境条件下和不同时期的迁移行为. 因此,在环境变化过程研究中,人为放射性核素137Cs和239+240Pu除了作为污染事件历史重建的良好指标外,还可以作为了解沉积物混合、水柱中的颗粒清除、水流路径评估等海洋过程的示踪剂[6].
此外,不同来源或事件的Pu同位素具有独特的原子比(如240Pu/239Pu和238Pu/239+240Pu) ,这对放射性污染来源的判断具有重要的参考价值. 例如:大气核试验的240Pu/239Pu原子比为0.18左右[7],武器级240Pu/239Pu原子比较低,在0.01—0.07之间[8],太平洋马绍尔群岛美国核试验基地的核试验(pacific proving grounds, PPG)为0.306—0.36[4]. 因此,根据样品中240Pu/239Pu比值,再结合沉积物中不同深度的Pu同位素活度可大致判断Pu的可能来源. 另外,由于Pu同位素与颗粒物结合能力较137Cs强[1],且239Pu(半衰期为2.41×104 a)和240Pu(半衰期为6.65×103 a)的半衰期也相对较长[9],因此在颗粒较少,并存在生物活动干扰的海洋长时间尺度(如超过百年或千年)的沉积事件研究中,Pu同位素具有补充和替代137Cs作为示踪剂的潜力,加上近年来Pu测定技术水平的提高,使得Pu同位在海洋环境过程的示踪研究中发挥着越来越重要的作用.
海洋中的颗粒物不仅有自生颗粒,还有来自河口径流输入的陆源物质. 在沉积过程中,颗粒物的沉积过程和沉积速率还会受到人为活动、生物扰动及洋流活动的影响,因此沉积物是记录沉积演化信息的档案库[10]. 南沙海域作为半封闭海域,受到黑潮和南海暖流影响,陆海相互作用强烈,是重要的沉积作用区,目前国内对南沙海域的研究主要是围绕表层沉积物展开[11-13]. 因此沉积物岩心的研究数据较为匮乏,这导致了该海域的历史演化数据很难被系统描述,同时,放射性核素污染的可能来源也没有相关数据,如PPG来源的钚是否流入南海,福岛核事故的排放是否污染到南海,这都需要利用相关核素来进行示踪研究. 本文分别测定南沙海域的6个沉积物岩芯不同层段137Cs和239+240Pu的含量,阐明它们随深度变化的特征,通过特征峰所在岩芯深度估算出沉积速率,并与Deng(2021)[14]在南沙海域同一批样品由210Pbex测年法获得的沉积速率对比,探讨整个岩芯形成过程中,环境发生的重要事件,为南沙海域的颗粒物沉积过程的研究、放射性污染的可能来源及环境评价提供参考依据.
南沙海域沉积物239+240Pu和137Cs的分布特 征及环境意义
Distribution characteristics and environmental significance of 239+240Pu and 137Cs in sediments in Nansha Sea area
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摘要: 放射性核素239Pu、240Pu 和137Cs具有沉积物定年和互相印证的优势,已被广泛运用于沉积速率及放射性物质来源的评估研究中. 本文测量和分析了从南沙海域采集的6个沉积物岩芯中的137Cs 、239 + 240Pu 活度和240Pu/239Pu原子比. 结果表明,南沙海域沉积物中137Cs、239+240Pu活度的变化范围分别为(0.758±0.078)—(1.687±0.145)Bq·kg-1,(0.256±0.019) —(0.752±0.078)Bq·kg-1. 240Pu/239Pu原子比变化范围为(0.184±0.020)—(0.201±0.028),介于全球沉降和太平洋核试验场(PPG) 240Pu/239Pu原子比范围之间,通过两端元法计算出PPG对南沙海域钚(Pu)的相对贡献为7.15%—15.89%(平均为11.29%). 137Cs和239+240Pu活度的垂直分布特征表明,除NS-3岩芯外,其它5个岩芯的137Cs和239+240Pu均为典型的单峰. 239+240Pu法与137Cs法计算的沉积速率基本一致,说明在采样区域,沉积物混合和外界扰动过程对颗粒物沉积影响不大. 在NS-2站位,210Pbex法测得的沉积速率大于其它两种方法的沉积速率,可能是由于NS-2站位离岸较近,人为干扰、沉积物混合作用等其他因素致使210Pbex法测定的结果受到了影响.
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关键词:
- 沉积速率 /
- 239+240Pu /
- 137Cs /
- 240Pu/239Pu /
- 沉积物岩芯.
Abstract: Radioisotopes 239Pu, 240Pu and 137Cs have the advantages of sediment dating and mutual verification, and have been widely used in the evaluation of deposition rates and sources of radioactive materials. In this paper, the activities of 137Cs, 239 + 240Pu and the atomic ratio of 240Pu/239Pu in six sediment cores collected from Nansha sea area were measured and analyzed. The results show that the variation range of 137Cs, 239+240Pu activity in the sediments of Nansha sea area range from (0.758±0.078)—(1.687±0.145) Bq·kg-1 and (0.256±0.019)—(0.752±0.078) Bq·kg-1. 240Pu/239Pu atomic ratio is (0.184±0.020)—(0.201±0.028), which are between the global subsidence and 240Pu/239Pu atomic ratio of PPG (Pacific Nuclear Test site). Through the two-terminal method, the relative contribution of PPG to plutonium(Pu) in Nansha sea area are calculated to be 7.15%—15.89% (average 11.29%). The vertical distribution characteristics of 137Cs and 239+240Pu activity in sediments show that 137Cs and 239+240Pu are typical single peaks. The sedimentation rates calculated by 239+240Pu method and 137Cs method are basically the same, which indicate that sediment mixing and external disturbance process have little influence on the sedimentation of particles in the sampling area. At NS-2 site, the sedimentation rates measured by 210Pbex method is higher than those by the other two methods, which may be due to the fact that the NS-2 site is close to the shore, so the results of 210Pbex method are affected by human interference, sediment mixing and other factors.-
Key words:
- sedimentation rate /
- 239+240Pu /
- 137Cs /
- 240Pu/239Pu /
- sediment core.
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表 1 岩芯与样品基本信息
Table 1. Basic information of the core and sample
岩芯编号
Core numberNS-1 NS-2 NS-3 NS-4 NS-5 NS-6 采样站位 7°31′19″N,
113°28′7″E4°59′58″N,
113°9′45″E6°27′30″N,
113°0′16″E5°14′41″N,
112°7′27″E5°10′37″N,
110°20′14″E4°50′15″N,
110°26′37″E水深/m 1335 119 1537 123 141 121 岩芯长度/cm 24 29 21 25 26 25 取样层位/cm 0—24 0—29 0—21 0—25 0—26 0—25 表观性状 灰色软泥 粉砂 灰棕色软泥 粉砂质泥 粉砂质泥 粉砂质泥 表 2 南沙海域采样点137Cs与Pu的数据信息(Bq·kg−1)
Table 2. Data Information of 137Cs and Pu at sampling sites in Nansha Sea area(Bq·kg−1)
NS-1 校正深度/cm
Correction depth平均值
Average value0—5.3 5.3—11.9 11.9—16.8 16.8—23.0 23.0—29.5 239+240Pu 0.295±0.028 0.256±0.019 0.451±0.045 0.542±0.058 0.286±0.030 0.366±0.036 137Cs 0.859±0.108 0.948±0.115 1.025±0.124 1.235±0.134 1.038±0.098 1.021±0.116 239Pu/240Pu 0.195±0.041 0.191±0.045 0.197±0.021 0.189±0.022 0.187± 0.021 0.192±0.030 NS-2 校正深度/cm
Correction depth平均值
Average value0—6.2 6.2—10.6 10.6—16.2 16.2—22.0 22.0—28.0 28.0—33.2 239+240Pu 0.298±0.031 0.279±0.027 0.458±0.054 0.597±0.064 0.752±0.078 0.584±0.054 0.495±0.051 137Cs 0.758±0.078 0.789±0.081 1.028±0.095 1.358±0.118 1.687±0.145 1.589±0.138 1.202±0.109 239Pu/240Pu 0.195±0.025 0.196±0.022 0.197±0.022 0.195±0.042 0.196±0.021 0.189±0.022 0.194±0.026 NS-3 校正深度/cm
Correction depth平均值
Average value0—5.2 5.2—10.6 10.6—16.3 16.3—23.3 239+240Pu 0.256±0.028 0.299±0.034 0.268±0.029 0.357±0.038 0.295±0.032 137Cs 0.958±0.109 0.869±0.101 1.058±0.116 1.357±0.124 1.061±0.113 239Pu/240Pu 0.189±0.021 0.191±0.025 0.195±0.022 0.194±0.022 0.192±0.023 NS-4 校正深度/cm
Correction depth平均值
Average value0—5.3 5.3—10.8 10.8—16.6 16.6—22.7 22.7—29.1 239+240Pu 0.267±0.034 0.345±0.039 0.452±0.051 0.398±0.041 0.367±0.037 0.366±0.040 137Cs 0.986±0.098 1.156±0.126 1.358±0.103 1.198±0.098 1.089±0.099 1.157±0.105 239Pu/240Pu 0.194±0.032 0.195±0.021 0.184±0.020 0.185±0.020 0.189±0.021 0.189±0.023 NS-5 校正深度/cm
Correction depth平均值
Average value0—5.3 5.3—10.9 10.8—16.8 16.8—23.0 23.0—30.5 239+240Pu 0.309±0.034 0.421±0.044 0.545±0.058 0.498±0.054 0.402±0.041 0.435±0.046 137Cs 1.189±0.101 1.204±0.106 1.268±0.112 1.168±0.114 1.069±0.094 1.179±0.105 239Pu/240Pu 0.191±0.022 0.192±0.022 0.201±0.028 0.196±0.026 0.201±0.023 0.196 ±0.024 NS-6 校正深度/cm
Correction depth平均值
Average value0—5.3 5.3—11.0 11.0—17.1 17.1—23.4 23.4—29.9 239+240Pu 0.318±0.034 0.345±0.038 0.489±0.058 0.398±0.042 0.287±0.029 0.367±0.040 137Cs 1.058±0.087 1.148±0.098 1.297±0.101 1.098±0.089 1.106±0.088 1.141 ±0.093 239Pu/240Pu 0.192±0.028 0.194±0.032 0.195±0.020 0.199±0.022 0.189±0.020 0.194±0.024 -
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