3810
TABLE 2.

JACOBI AND ANDRE
Calculated Mean Values of Pb*° and

Po? Concentrations and Their Ratio near Ground
Level as a Function of the Removal Rate

Removal
Half-Life
T,

Activity
Ratio

Pb?

Po™

Pb?! /Po?®

5
10

0.6 X10"
0.9 * 10-4

0.5 X 107
1.8 x 107

0.008
0.02

50

19 10-"

16 xX 107%

20
100
200
oo

1.3% 10-*

24x 104
2.7 *%104
3.5 * 10-4

6.0 * 107!

0.04

29 «* 107%
46 * 1075
9.8 * 10775

0.12
0.17
0.28

0.08

* Assuming a mean Rn”? exhalation rate of 0.4
atom /cm? sec.

eo
cals dene

Spec. Activity,* c/m!?

days

wot

Figure 7 shows the calculated equilibrium
profiles of Pb™® and Po™ for different values of
the half-life of removal 7’. The profile of Bi”
(t,,. == 5.0 days) is approximately identical with
the Pb” profile because both nuelides are practically in radioactive equilibrium. The distribution for T = o applies to the case with no
washout or rainout, so that fallout is effected
only by diffusion to the ground surface. All the
calculated profiles show a slow increase of the
Pb” and Po” concentrations with altitude in
the troposphere. We have to keep in mind that
the calculations are based on the assumption of
a constant removal rate throughout the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Since the precipitation processes are restricted to the
troposphere, the actual profiles in the lower
troposphere should correspond to profiles calculated for a finite residence time. Above the
tropopause, however, a higher Pb™° and Po™
concentration should be expected. The maximum
concentration should be reached at an altitude
of about 20 to 30 km.
An indicator of the fallout efficiency is the
change of the Pb™/Rn™ and Po™/Pb”™ratios
with altitude. The theoretical values of these
ratios are shown in Figure 8. The ratios are approximately constant up to an altitude of about
1 km. Above this altitude the Pb™/Rn™ ratio
increases rapidly aecording to the deerease of
Rn™ concentration and exceeds a value of 1 in
the lower stratosphere. The Po™/Pb™ ratio
rises more slowly with increasing height, until

radioactive equilibrium is reached approximat
in the lower stratosphere.
The theory shows the important result t!
rather low ratios must be expected in the tro]
sphere even without any removal of Pb™ a
Po” by washout or rainout. In this case Pb
Rn™ ratios of about 10° and Po™/Pb™ rat
of about 0.3 are obtained in ground-level 4
This result can be understood by considering t
buildup of the steady-state distributions
Pb™ and Po” atoms. The vertical distributi:
of the production rate of Pb™° atoms must

equal to the vertical profile of Bi™ or Rn™. B

cause of their comparatively long residence tir
in the atmosphere, the Pb™ atoms assume
much more uniform vertical distribution th:
their mother atoms. Supported by the diffusic
of Pb™ atoms toward the earth’s surface ar
their deposition thereon, this process results a lack of Pb” in the troposphere and in an e:
cess with respect to Rn™ in the lower stratc
sphere. The deviation of radioactive equilibriu:
between Pb”™° and Po** without any washol.
ean be explained in the same way. With dc
creasing residence time of Pb™° and Po™ atom

Le. with increasing washout efficiency, both re
tios are lowered.

The profiles of Pb™ and Po” shown in Fig
ure 7 are standardized to a Rn™ exhalation rat
of 1 atom/cm* sec. As was mentioned earlici
this value is reasonable for the calculation c
Rn™ profiles over continental areas when th
horizontal advection of maritime air with lov
Rn™ content can be neglected. Because of thei
rather long residence times in the atmosphere
this is no Jonger true for Pb™ and Po™*. As ar.
approximation it can be assumed that horizonta.
mixing leads to uniform Pb” and Po”® profile:
over land and sea within the samelatitude belt.
The land/sea ratio for middle latitudes of the

northern hemisphere is about 0.4. The calculated absolute concentrations should be multiplied by this factor to get values that are com-

parable with the observed average concentrations
in this region. Table 2 summarizes the resulting theoretical mean concentrations of Pb

and Po” near ground level for different valucs
of the half-lives of their removal.

Only a few measurements of Pb*™and Po™

are available for comparison with the calculations. Observed average values in ground-level
air at several places in temperate latitudes of

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