Section

Ecology

Title

THE STUDY OF RADIATION-CONTAMINATED FOREST SOILS IN THE AREA OF IMPACT OF THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT

Сontributors

O.A. Makarov, Ph. D. (Biology), Dr. Habil., Professor, Head of the Laboratory, Lomonosov Moscow State University, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., A. I. Radin, Head of the Laboratory FBU VNIILM, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;

A. D. Russkikh, postgraduate student, Lomonosov Moscow State University, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;

E. V. Tsvetnov, Ph. D. (Biology), Researcher, Lomonosov Moscow State University, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;

A.D. Karpov, Junior Researcher, FBU VNIILM, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;

Y. R. Ermiyaev, Junior Researcher, Lomonosov Moscow State University, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

In 2014—2015 the study of contamination of the three stationary forest areas of the Bryansk and Gomel Regions of the Union state of Russia and Belarus with Cesium-137 was conducted. Through the application of various methods of sampling and measurements, soil samples and vegetation, the patchy nature of the spatial distribution of the radionuclide within the plots with a maximum of accumulation in the uppermost part of soil profiles (layer 0—10 cm) was registered. The radionuclide is detected at a depth of 15 cm and more in the forests on the gray forest soil with the predominance of deciduous trees.

It is found, that the content of cesium-137 in the study components of the forest is within the normal range, including timber, which allows its logging. In the zones of radioactive contamination of over 185 kBq/m2 (5 CI/km2) in the forests there is a probability of exceeding 137Cs content in the forest litter, some types of plants and fungi over the level of 10 000 Bq/kg, making logging impossible. The external radiation does not impose restrictions on carrying out works in forest areas.

Keywords

radioactive pollution, radionuclides, Cesium-137, forest soil, the density of contamination, dose rate.

References

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