An aerosol particle containing enriched uranium encountered in the remote upper troposphere

Autor(en)

D. M. Murphy, K. D. Froyd, E. Apel, D. Blake, N. Blake, N. Evangeliou, R. S. Hornbrook, J. Peischl, E. Ray, T. B. Ryerson, C. Thompson, A. Stohl

Abstrakt

We describe a submicron aerosol particle sampled at an altitude of 7 km near the Aleutian Islands that contained a small percentage of enriched uranium oxide. ²³⁵U was 3.1 ± 0.5% of ²³⁸U. During twenty years of aircraft sampling of millions of particles in the global atmosphere, we have rarely encountered a particle with a similarly high content of ²³⁸U and never a particle with enriched ²³⁵U. The bulk of the particle consisted of material consistent with combustion of heavy fuel oil. Analysis of wind trajectories and particle dispersion model results show that the particle could have originated from a variety of areas across Asia. The source of such a particle is unclear, and the particle is described here in case it indicates a novel source where enriched uranium was dispersed.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Geschichte, Institut für Bildungswissenschaft, Institut für Meteorologie und Geophysik

Externe Organisation(en)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Colorado, Boulder, UCAR - University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), University of California, Irvine, Norwegian Institute for Air Research

Journal

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

Band

184-185

Seiten

95-100

Anzahl der Seiten

6

ISSN

0265-931X

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.01.006

Publikationsdatum

04-2018

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

105206 Meteorologie

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Environmental Chemistry, Waste Management and Disposal, Pollution, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/e73ecf12-3b4d-4ac3-b3bb-e98cface3204