Retrospective analysis of the deposition of artificial radionuclides in sediments of the Yenisei River

Abstract

Large-scale research of the Yenisei River sediments that has been conducted in the area affected by the MCC of Rosatom over a long distance, up to 1580 km downstream of Krasnoyarsk, has revealed the presence of various artificial radionuclides, thus making it possible to calculate sedimentation rates by using different radioisotope techniques. Retrospective analysis shows that in the past 60 years, considerable activities of the artificial radionuclides ¹³⁷Cs and ¹⁵²Eu entered the sediments of the river from the MCC-affected area during the anomalous floods in 1966 and 1988 and ⁶⁰Co – during the 2006 flood. To explain the radionuclide peaks in the layers dated to other periods, additional sediment research is needed.