The Northern-Crimean Canal as a model object for radioecological study of the Chernobyl radionuclides transport to the Black Sea

G.G. Polikarpov, G.E. Lazorenko✉, N.N. Tereshchenko, N.Yu. Mirzoyeva

Kovalevsky Institute of Marine Biological Researches, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sevastopol, Russian Federation

✉ e-mail: g.e.lazorenko@gmail.com

Abstract

Radioecological study of the irrigation system of the Northern-Crimean Canal (NCC) was carried out to assess its role in the transport of the Chernobyl-originated long-lived radionuclides to the Karkinitsky Bay in the Black Sea north-western part. For this study, five main stations were selected and disposed along the NCC mainstream at the distances 0, 28, 84, 125 and 150 km. Two local polygons in the Krasnoperekopskiy and Razdolnenskiy regions of the Crimea were chosen as the model objects to analyze their role in transport of the 90Sr, 137Cs and 238,239,240Pu to the Karkinitsky Bay during the irrigation period in April–October, 1992–1995. 137Cs and plutonium isotopes were analyzed in bottom sediments and soil under crops because their concentrations in water were higher the Lower Limit Detection (LLD) only at the beginning of the NCC. Water, bottom sediments, five aquatic plants (pondweed clasping-leaved Potamogeton perfoliatus and fennel-leaved (Potamogeton pectinatus, Ceratophyllum Ceratophyllum demersum and Myriophyllum spicatum, cane Scirpus lacustris), four crops (alfalfa Medicago sativa, rice Oriza sativa, wheat Triticum durum and maize Zea mays) and soils under them were collected for 90Sr analyses. 137Cs activity in the samples was measured on the Ge/Li detector DGDK-100. After radiochemical procedures 90Sr was measured by the low-background liquid scintillation beta-counter «Quantulus 1220», plutonium isotopes - by the alpha-spectrometer EG&G ORTEC OCTETE PC. It was revealed that irrigated soils, bottom sediments of the NCC mainstream, its branch and drainage systems constitute the main storage of 137Cs and plutonium isotopes. Therefore, the NCC irrigation system is considered to be a natural buffer preventing further transfer of these radionuclides to the Karkinitsky Bay. At the same time, 90Sr is characterized by almost uniform distribution in all the components of the NCC irrigation ecosystem.

Keywords

90Sr, 137Cs, plutonium isotopes, Northern-Crimean Canal irrigation system

For citation

Polikarpov, G.G., Lazorenko, G.E., Tereshchenko, N.N. and Mirzoyeva, N.Yu., 2015. The Northern-Crimean Canal as a model object for radioecological study of the Chernobyl radionuclides transport to the Black Sea. Physical Oceanography, (3), pp. 25-34. doi:10.22449/1573-160X-2015-3-25-34

DOI

10.22449/1573-160X-2015-3-25-34

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