C-14 LEVELS IN THE VICINITY OF 2 SWEDISH NUCLEAR-POWER-PLANTS AND AT 2 CLEAN-AIR SITES IN SOUTHERNMOST SWEDEN

C-14 is one of the radionuclides that are produced to different degree s by neutron-induced reactions in all types of nuclear reactors. Part of the C-14 created is continuously released into the surrounding envi ronment during normal operation as airborne effluents in various chemi cal forms (such as CO2, CO and hydrocarbons) through the ventilation s ystem of the plant. Because of the biological importance of carbon and the long half-life of C-14, it is of interest to measure the releases and their incorporation into living material. we report here on the C -14 activity concentrations in annual tree rings and the air around tw o Swedish nuclear power plants, as well as the background C-14 activit y levels from two reference sites in southern Sweden from 1973-1996. w e used both accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and decay counting in the investigation.