On the occurrence and origin of anthropogenic radionuclides found in a fragment of the Chelyabinsk (LL5) meteorite

A piece of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite was investigated for its content of anthropogenic radionuclides. In addition to traces of cesium‐137 that had been previously reported for this particular fragment, we found an unusually high amount of strontium‐90, which indicates that the source of this co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Meteoritics & planetary science 2017-06, Vol.52 (6), p.1244-1250
Main Authors: Querfeld, Rebecca, Tanha, Mohammad R, Heyer, Lars, Renz, Franz, Guggenberger, Georg, Brandstätter, Franz, Ferrière, Ludovic, Koeberl, Christian, Steinhauser, Georg
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropogenic factors
Cesium isotopes
Cesium radioisotopes
Chemical composition
Dumping
Ferromagnetism
Fragmentation
Human influences
Iron
Meteorites
Meteors & meteorites
Soil contamination
Soil investigations
Soil particles
Spectroscopy
Steels
Strontium
Strontium isotopes
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Summary:A piece of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite was investigated for its content of anthropogenic radionuclides. In addition to traces of cesium‐137 that had been previously reported for this particular fragment, we found an unusually high amount of strontium‐90, which indicates that the source of this contamination was the Kyshtym accident (1957). A high Sr‐90/Cs‐137 activity ratio is characteristic for Kyshtym‐derived contaminations. Based on the cesium‐137 content in the soil from the finding site, it is estimated that the fragment was contaminated with soil particles in the milligram range upon impact. Investigation of the soil revealed very unusual ferromagnetic characteristics and an iron‐rich chemical composition. Mössbauer spectroscopy indicated the presence of steel components in this soil, suggesting that the investigated meteorite fragment was found in an industrial dumping site rather than natural soil.
ISSN:1086-9379
1945-5100
DOI:10.1111/maps.12855