INVESTIGATION OF VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF ANTHROPOGENIC RADIONUCLIDES IN SEDIMENTS OF WATERCOURSES OF THE “DEGELEN” SITE

The article presents research data on the vertical distribution of radionuclides in bottom sediments of water streams at the former Degelen test location of the Semipalatinsk Test Site. As part of research, bottom sediments were sampled in the form of undisturbed cores. Based upon findings on the content of radionuclides in bottom sediment samples, histograms were plotted to describe the vertical distribution of radionuclides. The distribution of man-made radionuclides such as 241 Am, 137 Cs, 90 Sr and 3 Н is addressed. The content of 241 Am is <DL in all collected samples. That of 137 Cs and 90 Sr varied from 3±1 to 180±20 Bk/kg and 10±1 to 13,000±2,000 Bq/kg, respectively. The content of 3 Н was determined in two forms: in the free water (for bottom sediment samples from the Uzynbulak cr.) and in the tightly bound form. The content of 3 Н in the free water was 6,400±640 Bq/kg to 21,000±2,100 Bq/kg, in the tightly bound form – 8±1 Bq/kg to 5,300±550 Bq/kg.