Cesium-137 Concentration of Seawater and Sediment in Medan, North Sumatra

Cesium-137 is a fission product with a long half-life which can be released into natural environments from atomic bomb tests, nuclear accidents, and nuclear waste disposal. Because cesium is chemically similar to sodium, ingestion of its radioisotopes results in their deposition in the soft tissues all over the body creating an internal hazard, especially to the reproductive system. As an element in the alkali group, cesium commonly exists and migrates in the monovalent state in aquatic environments. In this research presents the results of measurements Cesium-137 from Medan
seawater, North Sumatra. Sample of seawater and sediment were colected from five location on eastern sea Medan. The method has used in this experiment by precipitating Cesium-137 using Copper Hexacyanoferrates(III) to form complexes. Precipitate then dry on temperature 120° Celcius and Cesium-137 concentrations were determined by gamma spectroscopy. The result of sediment samples showed from each location was station 1 <BDL, station 2, 0.035±0.003 Bq/Kg, station 3, 0.047±0.005 Bq/Kg, station 4, <BDL, station 5, 0.19±0.02 Bq/Kg and result for seawater sample was station 1, 0.191±0.022 Bq/m3 and station 2, 0.757±0.087.