IAEA-385 , Irish Sea Sediment
Inorganic , Sediments
- Unit Size: 100g
- Price per Unit: 150 EUR
- Report: IAEA/AL/151
- Date of Release: 2008-01-11
- Reference Sheet: IAEA-385
- Producing Laboratory: email
A sample of about 250 kg of sediment was collected from the Irish Sea (54.3°N, 3.7°W) by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft, U.K., in 1995. The sediment, which was sent to IAEA-MEL for processing, was frozen for 2 hours at -40 °C, and then freeze-dried with a +5 °C/h temperature increase rate. Secondary drying was performed over 24 hours under 0.02 mbar pressure at a constant temperature of +40 °C. The sediment was then ground into powder, sieved through a 250 µm mesh and homogenized by mixing in a nitrogen atmosphere. The samples were bottled in polyethylene flasks under nitrogen gas, sealed with polyethylene caps and labeled with the code IAEA-385. The bottles containing 100 g of sediment powder each were sterilized according to ISO standards at 10 kGy in an irradiation facility.
Reference date for decay correction: 1996-01-01
Certified Values for Massic Activities (based on dry mass)
| Radionuclide | Certified Value [Bq kg-1] | 95% Confidence interval [Bq kg-1] |
|---|---|---|
| 40K | 607 | 604-612 |
| 137Cs | 33.0 | 32.7-33.6 |
| 226Ra | 21.9 | 21.6-22.4 |
| 228Ra | 32.0 | 31.3-32.5 |
| 230Th | 30.6 | 30.0-33.6 |
| 232Th | 33.7 | 32.8-33.9 |
| 234U | 27 | 26-28 |
| 238U | 29 | 28-30 |
| 238Pu | 0.44 | 0.42-0.48 |
| 239+240Pu | 2.96 | 2.89-3.00 |
| 241Am# | 3.84 | 3.78-4.01 |
# The values should be corrected for in-growth from 241Pu.
Information Values for Massic Activities (based on dry mass)
| Radionuclide | Information Value [Bq kg-1] | 95% Confidence interval [Bq kg-1] |
|---|---|---|
| 90Sr | 0.58 | 0.42-0.68 |
| 210Pb(210Po)$ | 32.9 | 31.2-35.3 |
| 235U | 1.34 | 1.25-1.44 |
| 239Pu | 1.92 | 1.30-2.07 |
| 240Pu | 1.18 | 0.97-1.32 |
| 241Pu | 30 | 26-32 |
$ 210Pb and 210Po are considered to be in equilibrium.
The values listed above were established on the basis of statistically valid results submitted by laboratories which had participated in an international interlaboratory comparison organized by the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories, Monaco. The details concerning the criteria for qualification as a recommended or information value may be found in the report IAEA/AL/151 (attached).