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Alternatives to 137 Cs for 210 Pb dating validation in south America and in the Carribean region: Point and diffuse sources.

José Marcus GodoyCarlos G MassoneRenato S CarreiraAngela R WagenerFranciane Carvalho
Published in: Journal of environmental radioactivity (2024)
As today the 137 Cs fallout peak, in sediment cores, corresponds only to 25% of its initial concentration, alternatives to the use of 137 Cs as a 210 Pb sediment dating validation tool are proposed. In highly industrialized bays, such as Guanabara Bay in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region, several chemical/compounds from the surrounding industry releases may be applied as validation tools. Chromium and copper profiles in a sediment core adequately fit the expected pattern due to the implementation of a chemical plant in 1958, reaching their maximum discharge in 1982 and subsequently decreasing due to the operation of a new wastewater treatment plant. A diffuse source such, as the PCB-based mixture Askarel, was also applied as an alternative validation tool, and the observed concentration profile reproduced the expected behavior, with increasing concentration after the Second World War and a decrease after the ban of this product in 1981. The observed Aroclor 1254 and 1260 mixture chlorination rates fit the most widely distributed PCB-based products in the country.
Keyphrases
  • heavy metals
  • wastewater treatment
  • drinking water
  • risk assessment
  • healthcare
  • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
  • low grade
  • antibiotic resistance genes
  • aqueous solution
  • oxide nanoparticles