Reinvestigation of airborne 210Pb, 137Cs and 207Bi in Vienna (Austria) after atmospheric nuclear weapons tests

Reconstruction of atmospheric 210Pb and 137Cs activity concentrations occurring in Vienna immediately after the atmospheric nuclear weapons tests shall answer the question, whether artificial 210Pb has been produced by fusion devices using lead materials. If so, 207Bi also can be expected. In 1962, weekly average values for 210Pb were between 0.08±0.02 and 1.31±0.30 mBq/m3, 137Cs amounts up to 5.1±0.6 mBq/m3. 207Bi remains below the detection limit, viz. <0.5 mBq/m3. Bimonthly averages for the periods 1962–1964 and 1974–1975 show 137Cs activity concentrations with typical springtime maxima occurring together with low 210Pb values and 207Bi<0.02 mBq/m3. Annual averages of 210Pb are varying between 0.27 and 0.53 mBq/m3, independent of whether atmospheric tests have been performed or not. Comparison of the activity ratios 207Bi/210Pb, 207Bi/137Cs and 210Pb/137Cs with published data, leads to the conclusion that no evidence exists for a significant production of 210Pb by nuclear explosions, neither after the Soviet tests in 1961–1962 nor after the Chinese tests in 1973–1976.