Analysis of radioxenon in ground level air sampled in the Republic of South Korea on October 11-14, 2006

Authors:

  • Anders Ringbom
  • Klas Elmgren
  • Karin Lindh

Publish date: 2007-05-11

Report number: FOI-R--2273--SE

Pages: 24

Written in: English

Keywords:

  • Radioxenon
  • nuclear test
  • CTBT
  • North Korea

Abstract

Five air samples were collected in the Republic of South Korea shortly following the claimed nuclear test in the Democratic People´s Republic of Korea on October 9, 2006. The samples were transported to Sweden for further processing, activity measurement, and analysis with respect to the four isotopes 133Xe, 131mXe, 133mXe, and 135Xe. The analysis was performed using two partly different techniques. Four of the five samples contained detectable amounts of 133Xe, with atmospheric concentrations between 1 and 7 mBq/m3. One sample also contained the two isotopes 131mXe and 133mXe with a confidence level above 95%, while two other samples contained 133mXe on the 1s confidence level (84%). This report focuses entirely on the activity analysis of the samples and gives no interpretation of the origin of the observed activities.