The Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 11 No 1 (2007): 93 – 97

 

 

RATIO OF ²¹⁰Po AND ²¹⁰Pb IN FRESH, BRACKISH AND SALINE WATER IN KUALA SELANGOR RIVER

 

Tan Chin Siang¹, Che Abd Rahim Mohamed^*1, Zaharuddin Ahmad²

 

¹Marine Ecosystem Research Center, Faculty of Science and Technology,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Malaysia

²Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology, Bangi

 

*Corresponding author: carmohd@.ukm.my

 

Abstract

Sediment cores were carried out from Kuala Selangor river to marine sea water via coastal and brackish water ambient. Sample  size fraction with  saiz less than 125 µm was spiked with tracer  ²⁰⁹Po  (Polonium-209) and leached with mix concentrated  nitric  acid  (HNO₃),  perchloric  acid  (HClO₄),  hydrogen  peroxide  (H₂O₂), hydrochloric  acid  (HCl),  and mineralized with 50 ml of 0.5M HCl. The sample solution was used for spontaneously deposit polonium on a silver disk at 80 – 85 ºC and measured with the Alpha Spectrometry. The distribution of two radionuclides especially ²¹⁰Po, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb were useful in identifying the origin of ²¹⁰Po. Ratio values of ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb in the freshwater, brackish water and saline water were 3.3459, 5.8385 2.9831, respectively. From the high ratio of  ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb, the widespread occurrence of excess ²¹⁰Po in Kuala Selangor river water may came from the atmosphere sources such as stratospheric aerosols, sea spray of the surface micro layer and bio-volatile ²¹⁰Po organism from productive species.

 

Keywords: ²¹⁰Po, ²¹⁰Pb, marine radionuclide

 

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