Vegetation Fires And Release Of Radioactivity
Into The Air
Author(s)
F. P. Carvalho, J. M. Oliveira & M. Malta
Abstract
Naturally-occurring radionuclides, such as those of the uranium and thorium
series, as well as artificial radionuclides, are accumulated in plants generally in
low concentrations. Summer vegetation fires release these natural and man-made
radionuclides into the atmosphere. Concentrations of uranium isotopes 238U,
235U, 234U, 232Th, 230Th, 226Ra, 210Pb and 210Po were measured in smoke from wild
vegetation fires. It is shown that radionuclide concentrations in smoke particles
are enhanced about 100 times in comparison with the vegetation of the area and
with reference aerosols. Smoke particles were particularly enriched in 210Po, and
displayed 210Po/210Pb activity concentration ratios always above unity and up to
12, while in common aerosols 210Po/210Pb is always <1. Inhaled smoke particles
from vegetation and forest fires may contribute to enhanced radiation doses in
the human lung.
Keywords: naturally-occurring radionuclides, polonium, radioactivity in plants,
vegetation fires.
1 Introduction
Every year, especially in the inter-tropical and temperate regions a high number
of wild forest and vegetation fires causes loss of property and natural resources.
The wild vegetation and forest fires release into the atmosphere large quantities
of volatilized substances and particulate matter, aggravated by those from man
made fires either for combustible control, agriculture fires, and plant biomass
burning for heat production, all of them with an impact on atmospheric
chemistry and a potential impact on climate change [1, 2]. Recent studies have
increasingly focused on the impact of fire emissions on human health and
Keywords
naturally-occurring radionuclides, polonium, radioactivity in plants,
vegetation fires
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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