VERTICAL-DISTRIBUTION AND FLOWS OF LEAD AND NATURAL RADIONUCLIDES IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Vertical distributions of radium-226, lead-210, uranium and stable lead were observed in the troposphere and lower stratosphere over Poland at several altitudes between 0 and 15 km in the period 1973-1987. Greatly increased concentrations of stable lead and radium-226 were observed at all altitudes for several years after the Fuego volcano eruption in 1974, and also after the Nevado del Ruiz eruption in 1985. The volcanic eruptions in 1980-1982 contributed to the radium-226 and uranium levels at the higher altitudes. The annual flows of radium-226, lead-210, uranium and stable lead into the global atmosphere, estimated from their long-term average contents in the 0-15 km air layer, are 2.3 × 104 Bq, 8.4 × 1015 Bq, 8.3 × 109 g and 3.7 × 1012 g, respectively. These estimates are similar to those based on concentrations of these nuclides in widely dispersed glaciers in both hemispheres, and on radon-222 exhalation measurements. However, they are higher than estimates based on particulate emissions. The anthropogenic contribution to the total flow of radium-226 into the global atmosphere is ∼3.7%, for lead-210 0.25%, uranium 17% and stable lead 9.7%. © 1990.