Monitoring of 7Be atmospheric activity concentration using short term measurements

• Published in: Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 101 - 109
• Main Authors: Papandreou, Sotiria, Savva, Marilia, Karfopoulos, Konstantinos, Karangelos, Dimitrios, Anagnostakis, Marios, Simopoulos, Simos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences 2011
• Subjects: atmospheric aerosol; beryllium-7; diurnal variations
• ISSN: 1451-3994; 1452-8185
• DOI: 10.2298/NTRP1102101P

The activity concentration of 7Be in atmospheric aerosol can exhibit seasonal
variations due to various physical processes taking place in the troposphere
and stratosphere, as well as due to solar activity. An investigation of these
variations has been carried out at the Nuclear Engineering Department of the
National Technical University of Athens over a two year period
(3/2008-4/2010). In the framework of this study, sampling and analysis
methods were appropriately selected to allow for the observation of
short-term 7Be air activity concentration variations, using a 4-hour sampling
interval, while taking in consideration type A and type B uncertainties
introduced in the measurements. In order to study the role of precipitation
in surface air 7Be activity concentration variations, a procedure for
collecting and analyzing rainwater was developed. The techniques used in the
present study allowed for the observation of seasonal and diurnal 7Be
concentration variations, as well as correlations between 7Be activity
concentration and the meteorological parameters of air temperature and
relative humidity.
Koncentracija 7Be u prizemnom sloju atmosfere pokazuje sezonske varijacije
usled fizickih procesa koji se dogadjaju u troposferi i stratofreri, kao i
solarne aktivnosti. Istrazivanja ovih varijacija obavljena su na Odseku za
nuklearnu inzenjeriju, Drzavnog tehnickog univerziteta u Atini, u periodu od
dve godine (mart 2008 - april 2010). U okviru ove studije, metode za
uzorkovanje i analizu pravilno su odabrane kako bi se omogucilo posmatranje
variranja koncentracije koriscenjem cetvorocasovnog intervala uzorkovanja,
uzimajuci u obzir mernu nesigurnost tipa A i B. U cilju odredjivanja uticaja
padavina na varijaciju koncentracije 7Be u prizemnom sloju atmosfere,
razvijena je metoda za sakupljanje i analizu padavina. Takodje, razvijen je
postupak koji omogucava posmatranje variranja sezonske i dnevne koncentracije
7Be i korelaciju izmedju vrednosti koncentracije 7Be i meteoroloskih
parametara, kao sto su temperatura vazduha i relativna vlaznost vazduha.