第四章 天然放射性元素化学.ppt

Chapter4 Radionuclides in nature第四章 自然界中的放射性核素 杨金玲 Practically all natural materials contain radioactive nuclides, though usually in such low concentrations that they can be detected only by very sensitive analysis. This is true for water (rain water, rivers, lakes, sea), rocks and soil, and all living matter, as well as for structures on natural raw materials except where great care has resulted in use of anon-radioactive material. The radionuclides in our environment can be divided into (i) those formed from cosmic radiation, (ii) those with lifetimes comparable to the age of the earth, (iii) those that are part of the natural decay chains beginning with thorium and uranium, and (iv)those introduced in nature by modern techniques. Sources can be categorized as: (i) cosmogenic宇生放射性的, (ii) and (iii) primordial原生放射性的, and (iv) anthropogenic 人类活动产生的. Cosmogenic radionuclides Cosmic irradiation of the atmosphere produces neutrons and protons which react with N2, O2, Ar, etc. resulting in the production of radioactive nuclides. These nuclides are produced at constant rates and brought to the earth surface by rain water. Equilibrium is assumed to be established between the production rate and the mean residence time of these radionuclides interrestrial reservoirs (the atmosphere, the sea, lakes, soil, plants, etc) leading to constant specific radioactivities of the elements in each reservoir. Cosmogenic radionuclides If a reservoir is closed from the environment, its specific radioactivity decreases. This can be used to determine exposure times of meteorites to cosmic radiation (and the constancy of the cosmic radiation field, using 81Kr), dating marine sediments (using 10Be, 26Al), groundwater (36Cl), glacial ice (10Be), dead biological materials (14C), etc. The shorter-lived cosmogenic radionuclides have been used as natural tracers for atmospheric mixing and precipitation processes (e.g. 39Cl or 38S). Only T and 14C are of sufficient importance to deserve