Impact of North Korean nuclear weapons test on 3 September, 2017 on inland China traced by C-14 and I-129

摘要

Environmental impact of North Korea nuclear weapons testing on 3 Sept, 2017, is of key concern. In order to investigate whether there is radioactive leakage and whether it can be transported to inland China, C-14 and I-129 are determined in aerosol samples collected in a Chinese inland city before and after the test. Aerosol Delta C-14 values before and after the test do not show any significant difference. In contrast, a four-fold increase of I-129/I-127 ratios was found after the test. The possible sources of I-129 in these atmospheric samples and the impact of the North Korea nuclear test are discussed.