Environmental distribution and behavior of 3H and 14C around Wolsong Nuclear Power Plants

To estimate of the dispersion trend of 3H and 14C discharged from the Wolsung Nuclear Power Plants, the present level of 3H and 14C in environmental samples in the vicinity of the Wolsong site was studied. Tree-ring cellulose analyses were carried out for retrospective evaluation of 3H and 14C in the environment around the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plants. 3H released from the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plants has affected an area up to a 25-km radius from the site, while almost all 14C was deposited within a 2-km radius, reaching to a natural level over 2 km. Organically bound tritium concentrations in tree rings were strongly correlated with the gaseous tritium discharge rate, while delta14C (excess) in tree rings ranged from 204 per thousand to 460 per thousand, which did not significantly vary with year.