Evidence of long-lived and Pu isotopes enrichment in vegetation samples around the Marcoule nuclear reprocessing plant (France).

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25/10/2003

C.Duffa *, C.Fréchou **

Applied Geochemistry 18; 1867-1873


Type de document > *Article de revue
Mots clés publication scientifique > bioaccumulation , iode , plutonium , retraitement
Unité de recherche > IRSN/DEI/SESURE/LERCM
Auteurs > DUFFA Céline

Iodine-129 and 238 Pu,239 Pu and 240 Pu are radionuclides posing a long-term safety concern due to their potential integration in bio and geo-chemical cycles and their signi .cant half-lives.They are present throughout the environment at very low levels,and more particularly,nuclear fuel reprocessing plants (NRP)have been identi .ed as local sources of these radionuclides.However,due to measurement di .culties,published data concerning their activity levels in terrestrial environments around NRP facilities remain scarce.The aim of the present paper is to communicate 129 I,238 Pu and 239+240 Pu measurements results from the area surrounding the Marcoule NRP,which is situated in SE France. Several vegetation samples were collected around the nuclear installation in 1999 and 2000,in order to examine the possible impacts of its atmospheric and Pu discharges.Based on 238 Pu/239+240 Pu activity ratios and 129 I/127 isotopic ratios, local increases in Pu and 129 were detected and related to industrial activity.

*  Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucléaire DPRE/SERNAT/LERCM,Centre d’Etudes de Cadarache, BP 3, 13115 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance Cedex,France

** Commissariat à l ’Energie Atomique,DEN/DPC/SECR/LANIE,Centre d ’Etudes de Saclay,91191 Gif-sur-Yvette,France

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