Abstract ▼ AI-Helper

order to investigate physical characteristics and element concentrations of sediments, coastal bottom sediments were collected at 20 stations in the vicinity of Youngkwang Nuclear Power Plant. After air drying of samples in the laboratory. article size distribution was examined by Master sizer (X-35...

order to investigate physical characteristics and element concentrations of sediments, coastal bottom sediments were collected at 20 stations in the vicinity of Youngkwang Nuclear Power Plant. After air drying of samples in the laboratory. article size distribution was examined by Master sizer (X-350F), radio-activity by HPGe ${\gamma}$-spectrphotometer, and element concentrations by ICP-AES and AAS. According to particle size analysis , sediments are mainly composed of silt fraction weith 23% of sand, 65% of silt and 12% of clay on average. Most sediments are derived from muddy environment that silt dominates with the characteristics of 5.3${\varsigma}$ mean particle size, poorly sorted, very fine skewed and lepto-kurtic. Only two sediments are well sorted with sandy silt owing to wind, winnowing action, tide and current andits complex reactions. Element concentrations in the coastal bottom sediments are relatively high at finer sediment and show significant relationship with grain size. Index of geoaccumulation by heavy metals at every sampling station is classified as practically unpolluted. The radioactivities of the sediments were measured for 15 isotope elements, and 2 elements of K-40 and Cs-137 were detected in most sediments. The K-40 is the natural nuclide and the artificial nuclide of Cs-137 was thought to be derived from the fallout of past nuclear weapon test. The results of correlation coefficient between grain size and radioactivity shows that the activity of Cs-137 significantly increases in finer grain.