Concentration of 7Be in surface air at Suva, Fiji

Abstract

A high-volume air sampler and a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer have been used during the period 1999-2000 at the University of the South Pacific to measure the activity of 7Be in the surface air at Suva, the capital city of Fiji. The measurements indicate that the average concentration of 7Be in surface air is about 1.6 mBq m-3, which agrees closely with the corresponding values reported for other Pacific islands in the region. 7Be shows a significant correlation with nitrate in the atmosphere. This could imply long-range transport of anthropogenically-derived continental material to Fiji or the intrusion of nitrogen species from the stratosphere to surface air.