Natural and artificial radionuclides in river bottom sediments and suspended matter in the Czech Republic in the period 2000-2010
Abstract
The concentrations of natural radionuclides, radium-226, radium-228, and potassium-40, and the artificial radionuclide caesium-137, in river bottom sediments and suspended matter were monitored in the Czech Republic by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute during the period 2000-2010 and 2001-2010 respectively. The data were used to evaluate the natural background levels of these radionuclides and the impact of human activities on the water environment.
To evaluate the background level for radium-226, the river sites affected by human activities were eliminated from the assessment. The river sediments were identified as good indicators of radioactive contamination.
The radium-226 contamination rate was assessed using the ratio of radium-226 to radium-228. This ratio was used to classify sediment according to the relative contamination from the uranium industry.
The residual contamination of caesium-137 due to the Chernobyl accident in 1986 was also assessed