Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.5338/KJEA.2018.37.4.33

The Distribution and Behavior of Medically-derived 131I in the Yeongsan River Basin  

Kang, Tae-Woo (Yeongsan River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Han, Young-Un (Yeongsan River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Park, Won-Pyo (Faculty of Bioscience and Industry, Jeju National University)
Song, Kwang-Duck (Yeongsan River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Hwang, Soon-Hong (Yeongsan River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Kang, Tae Gu (Water Quality Assessment Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Kim, Kyung Hyun (Yeongsan River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research)
Publication Information
Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture / v.37, no.4, 2018 , pp. 243-250 More about this Journal
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recently, the use of $^{131}I$ for diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer has been increasing, and the radionuclide is continuously released into aquatic ecosystem. This study was carried out to investigate the $^{131}I$ concentrations in mainstreams, tributaries, and sewage wastewater treatment plants (SWTPs) of the Yeongsan River Basin and to identify their origins from the assessment of behaviors in the rivers. METHODS AND RESULTS: The water samples were collected from 19 sites including mainstreams (13), tributaries (4) and SWTPs (2). The $^{131}I$ concentration was measured using a gamma-ray spectrometry with a HPGe detector. The $^{131}I$ in SWTPs was detected mostly in the discharged effluent at the sampling sites. However, from the surface water of the rivers, $^{131}I$ was found only at two sites from each sampling period of the first (MS4 and MS10) and the second half (MS4 and MS7) of the year 2017. The concentrations of $^{131}I$ in the effluent discharged from SWTPs were in the range of 0.0870 to 3.87 Bq/L for SWTP1, and in the river revealed that it was not detected in the upper streams of the mainstreams and tributaries, while continuous detection was found in the SWTPs and downstream sites affected by the effluent. However, the concentration of $^{131}I$ decreased downstream, eventually becoming undetectable. Such behavior was closely related to the behavior found in the SWTPs. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that medically-derived $^{131}I$ was discharged to the river via sewage effluent at the SWTPs. It is necessary to evaluate the influence of aquatic ecosystems through continuous monitoring in the future.
Keywords
$^{131}I$; Medically-derived; Radionuclides; SWTPs; Yeongsan River;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Carolan, J. V., Hughes, C. E., & Hoffmann, E. L. (2011). Dose assessment for marine biota and humans from discharge of 131I to the marine environment and uptake by algae in Sydney, Australia. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 102(10), 953-963.   DOI
2 Chang, B. U., Choi, S. W., Song, M. H., Lee, J. S., & Kim, Y. (2011). Medically used radionuclides ($^{131}I,\;^{99m}Tc$) in the urban sewage system: the case of the Daejeon metropolitan city, Korea. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 146(1-3), 318-321.   DOI
3 Cho, Y. H., Seol, B. N., Kim, W. S., Min, K. O., Lee, J. B., & Lee, S. H. (2016). A case study about counting uncertainty of radioactive iodine ($^{131}I$) in public waters by using gamma spectrometry. Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers, 38(1), 42-46.   DOI
4 Erlandsson, B., Bjurman, B., & Mattsson, S. (1989). Calculation of radionuclide ground deposition by means of measurements on sewage sludge. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 45(3-4), 329-344.   DOI
5 Fischer, H. W., Ulbrich, S., Pittauerova, D., & Hettwig, B. (2009). Medical radioisotopes in the environment-following the pathway from patient to river sediment. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 100(12), 1079-1085.   DOI
6 Howe, J. R., & Hunt, A. E. (1984). Swan thyroid glands and river algae as indicators of iodine-125 and iodine-131 in the River Trent and its tributaries. Science of the Total Environment, 35(3), 387-401.   DOI
7 Howe, J. R., & Lloyd, M. K. (1986). Radio-iodine in thyroid glands of swans, farm animals and humans, also in algae and river water from the Thames Valley, England. Science of the Total Environment, 48(1-2), 13-31.   DOI
8 Kleinschmidt, R. (2009). Uptake and depuration of $^{131}I$ by the macroalgae Catenella nipae-Potential use as an environmental monitor for radiopharmaceutical waste. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58(10), 1539-1543.   DOI
9 Jimenez, F., Deban, L., Pardo, R., Lopez, R., & Garcia-Talavera, M. (2011). Levels of $^{131}I$ and six natural radionuclides in sludge from the sewage treatment plant of Valladolid, Spain. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 217(1-4), 515-521.   DOI
10 Kim, J. Y., Jung, H. J., An, M. J., Hong, J. K., Kang, T. G., Kang, T. W., Cho, Y. H., Han, Y. U., Seol, B. N., Kim, W. S., & Kim, K. H. (2015). Status of national monitoring program for environmental radioactivity and investigation of artificial radionuclide concentrations ($^{134}Cs$, $^{137}Cs$ and $^{131}I$) in rivers and lakes. Analytical Science & Technology, 28(6), 377-384.   DOI
11 Malta, M., Oliverira, J. M., Silva L., & Carvalho, F. P. (2013). Radioactivity from Lisboa urban wastewater discharges in the Tejo River Estuary. Journal of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, 13(4), 399-408.
12 Martin, J. E., & Fenner, F. D. (1997). Radioactivity in municipal sewage and sludge. Public Health Reports, 112(4), 308-318.
13 Montenero, M. P., Dilbone, E. K., & Waples, J. T. (2017). Using medically-derived iodine-131 to track sewage effluent in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Water Research, 123, 773-782.   DOI
14 Moran, J. E., Oktay, S. D., & Santschi, P. H. (2002). Sources of iodine and iodine 129 in rivers. Water Resources Research. 38(8), 1149-1158.
15 Puhakainen, M. (1998). Detection of radionuclides in sewage water and sludge. Radiochemistry, 40(6), 529-533.
16 Morita, T., Niwa, K., Fujimoto, K., Kasai, H., Yamada, H., Nishiutch, K., Sakamoto, T., Godo, W., Taino, S., Hayashi, Y., Takeno, K., Nishigaki, T., Fujiwara, K., Aratake, H., Kamonoshita, S., Hashimoto, H., Kobayashi, T., Otosaka, S., & Imanaka, T. (2010). Detection and activity of iodine-131 in brown algae collected in the japanese coastal areas. Science of the Total Environment, 408(16), 3443-3447.   DOI
17 Moss, C. E. (1973). Control of radioisotope releases to environment from diagnostic isotope procedures. Health Physics, 25, 197-198.
18 Pritchard, H. M., Gessel, T. F., & David, E. (1981). Iodine-131 levels in sludge and treated municipal wastewaters near a large medical complex. American Journal of Public Health, 71(1), 47-52.   DOI
19 Punt, A., Wood, M., & Rose, D. (2007). Radionuclide discharges to sewer-a field investigation. Science Report SC020150, Environmental Agency UK.
20 Rose, P. S., Smith, J. P., Cochran, J. K., Aller, R. C., & Swanson, R. L. (2013). Behavior of medically-derived $^{131}I$ in the tidal Potomac River. Science of the Total Environment, 452-453, 87-97.   DOI
21 Rose, P. S., Swanson, R. L., & Cochran, J. K. (2012). Medically-derived $^{131}I$ in municipal sewage effluent. Water Research, 46(17), 5663-5671.   DOI
22 Waller, E. J., & Cole, D. (1999). An environmental radionuclide baseline study near three Canadian naval ports. Health physics, 77(1), 37-42.   DOI
23 Ruchhoft, C. C., & Feitelberg, S. (1951). Estimates on concentration of radio-iodine in sewage and sludge from hospital wastes. Nucleonics, 9(6), 29-34.
24 Smith, J. P., Oktay, S. D., Kada, J., & Olsen, C. R. (2008). Iodine-131: a potential short-lived, wastewater-specific particle tracer in an urbanized estuarine system. Environmental Science & Technology, 42(15), 5435-5440.   DOI
25 Sodd, V. J., Velten, R. J., & Saenger, E. L. (1975). Concentrations of the medically useful radionuclides, technetium-99m and iodine-131 at a large metropolitan waste water treatment plant. Health Physics, 28(4), 355-359.   DOI
26 Warsh, K., Buddemeier, R., Wood, W., & Smith, C. (1988). Radioiodine in kelp from western Australia. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 123(1), 199-213.   DOI