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Survey of the Dispersion of 14C in the Vicinity of the UK Reprocessing Site at Sellafield1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

R L Otlet ,
A J Walker  and
M J Fulker
R L Otlet
Affiliation:
Isotope Measurements Laboratory, Harwell Laboratory, UK
A J Walker
Affiliation:
Isotope Measurements Laboratory, Harwell Laboratory, UK
M J Fulker
Affiliation:
Environmental Protection Group, BNF plc, Sellafield, UK
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Abstract

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We have been measuring 14C in natural, biological materials growing in the vicinity of Sellafield, Cumbria as a continuing project with BNFL to understand the dispersion of releases from the site over several seasons. We have measured locally grown foodstuffs for monitoring purposes, individual tree rings to establish a chronology of releases, hawthorn berries for spatial investigations and are now carrying out controlled plot uptake experiments. We have been attempting to validate a current dispersion model (Clarke 1979) over a six-year period, and although we observe general agreement in most years, certain anomalies, which probably relate to topographical features, are leading to more detailed correlation with local meteorological data.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , 1990 , pp. 23 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 The American Journal of Science 

References

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