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MIGRATION OF ARTIFICIAL RADIONUCLIDES (137CS, 152EU, 60CO) IN THE BOTTOM SEDIMENTS OF THE YENISEY RIVER (NEAR ZONE OF INFLUENCE OF THE KRASNOYARSK MCP)

A. V. Chuguevsky, M. S. Melgunov, I. V. Makarova

V.S.Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia

The distribution nature of the artificial gamma-emitting radionuclides (137Cs, 152Eu, 154Eu, 155Eu, 60Co) in vertical columns of the Yenisei River bottom sediments selected in the near zone of influence of the Krasnoyarsk MCP was revealed. It is shown that the mineral composition of bottom sediments does not change with the depth and is mainly represented by quartz, plagioclase and potassium feldspar, with a small amount of amphibole, chlorite, mica. It was found that the exchangeable and carbonate forms contain, on average, 16% of 152Eu, 22% of137Cs and 15% of 60Co being found in bottom sediments. Radionuclides presented in these forms can pass into an aqueous solution and be involved in secondary migration under stable, natural conditions. Other fractions of the absorbing complex in the absence of catastrophic changes in physico-chemical conditions in the river ecosystem do not pass into an aqueous solution, and the redistribution of radionuclides associated with them can occur only with mechanical transfer of the matter.

Keywords: technogenic radionuclides, bottom sediments, occurrence forms, secondary redistribution, Krasnoyarsk MCP, Yenisey River.

DOI 10.20403/2078-0575-2022-2-68-77

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