Climatic Factors of the Radionuclide Composition of Atmospheric Aerosols in Rostov-on-Don

• Published in: Atmospheric and oceanic optics Vol. 34; no. 1; pp. 14 - 18
• Main Authors: Mikhailova, T. A., Kaschaeva, E. A., Masharov, K. S., Buraeva, E. A., Popov, Yu. V., Verbenko, I. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aerosols; Air pollution; Air pollution measurements; Atmospheric aerosols; Caesium 137; Cesium 137; Cesium isotopes; Cesium radioisotopes; Composition; Hydrosoles; Lasers; Lead isotopes; Nuclear accidents; Nuclear accidents & safety; Optical Devices; Optics; Optics of Clusters; Photonics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Pollutants; Pollution index; Radiation; Radiation hazards; Radioisotopes; Radionuclide kinetics; Spectrometry; Weather; Rostov-on-Don Russia; Russia; aerosols; heavy metals; radionuclides
• ISSN: 1024-8560; 2070-0393
• DOI: 10.1134/S1024856021010085

We present the results of the study of the radionuclide composition of atmospheric aerosols and seasonal behavior of pollutants in the surface air layer in Rostov-on-Don, which is located in the steppe zone. The data were obtained from the study of atmospheric aerosol samples taken in 2001–2009. The volumetric activity of radionuclides was measured using the gamma-spectrometric radionuclide analysis. The spring–summer maxima and autumn–winter minima were revealed in the seasonal behavior of the volumetric activity of radionuclides in the atmosphere caused by changes in weather parameters. According to the radionuclide air pollution index, the highest degree of radiation hazard for the city is associated with the product of 222 Rn– 210 Pb decay. The special significance of 137 Cs as a potentially dangerous radionuclide in the case of a large-scale nuclear accident is noted.