Issue 11, 2020

Modeling of 210Pb and 210Po radionuclide emissions from local power plants in central Poland

Abstract

Due to the more volatile nature of 210Po in relation to 210Pb, an imbalance of activity concentrations in high temperature combustion processes can be observed, especially in fine particulates (diameter < 0.1, 0.2 and 0.5 μm). In the atmosphere and in the soil around coal-fired power plants, 210Pb and 210Po concentrations are a combination of activities from natural and anthropogenic sources. In this study only portions of 210Po and 210Pb radionuclides resulting from energy production activities were analyzed. Due to the high mobility of fine particles, a surface area of 172 km × 140 km in central Poland was chosen for simulation. For validation of the modeling approach, three grid versions were applied: 1 km, 2 km and 4 km. Simulated results confirmed experimental–computational values of an excess of both radionuclides in the atmosphere in 2017 in the city of Lodz. Different aerosol fractions, seasons and various grids in the selected area were subjected to 36 individual simulations. The 210Po activity concentrations measured in winter and summer 2017 were 42.5 and 8.99 μBq m−3, respectively. Simulated and measured values of artificial 210Po and 210Pb activities are well correlated.

Graphical abstract: Modeling of 210Pb and 210Po radionuclide emissions from local power plants in central Poland

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Mar 2020
Accepted
29 Sep 2020
First published
14 Oct 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2020,22, 2291-2297

Modeling of 210Pb and 210Po radionuclide emissions from local power plants in central Poland

M. Długosz-Lisiecka and D. Perka, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2020, 22, 2291 DOI: 10.1039/D0EM00141D

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