Determination of Be-7, Po-210 And Pb-210 radionuclide activities in İstanbul air particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) samples and their lung bioaccessibilities

Large quantities of particulate matter have released into the atmosphere due to increasing fossil fuel use and urbanization. Air particulate matter (PM) is solid or liquid particles suspended in air and various fractions ranging in size from 0,002 μm to 500 μm. Many different contaminants may be present in particulate matter and they are major health hazard. In this study, radionuclide activity in the particulate matter of urban air were evaluated. 210Po, 210Pb and 7Be activities in PM2.5 and PM10 were measured from Kadıköy and Aksaray stations in Istanbul. The air filters were obtained by using atmospheric particulate matter collection devices of Environmental Protection and Control Department of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The effects of meteorological dynamics such as precipitation, wind and temperature on the radionuclide retention and accumulation in aerosols were investigated by sampling in different season changes. Be-7 activity was found in the range of 1.34-10 mBq/m3. Po-210 activity was 0.06-0.64 mBq/m3 in PM10 while it was determined in the range of 0.07-0.61 mBq/m3 in PM2.5. The activity of 210Pb is avarage 0,96 mBq/m3 in Kadıköy station while it is 0,62 mBq/m3 in Aksaray station. The lung bioaccesibility test (in vitro respiration test) method was used to determine the concentration of 210Pb that could reach the human lungs was measured as 0,32 mBq/m3.