title: Lichens as indicators of tritium and radiocarbon contamination.
abstract: Lichens were collected in France in the surroundings of a military nuclear facility in Burgundy, near the la Hague reprocessing plant and in an area away from any direct source of contamination. Organically bound tritium (OBT) has been analysed on 18 samples and radiocarbon on 11. It appeared that on the most contaminated spots, the OBT activity in lichens was higher than the background by a factor of 1000 and was still a factor 10-100 at a distance of 20 km from the source. Radiocarbon from la Hague could be traced by lichens. The slow metabolism of lichens makes them suitable for the follow-up of (3)H and (14)C, which have been incorporated by photosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: Observatoire Mycologique, Néronde, F-71 250 Mazille, France. olivier.daillnat@skynet.be
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Daillant
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kirchner
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pigrée
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Porstendörfer
mesh_terms: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005602:France; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D010788:Photosynthesis; D011210:Power Plants; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014316:Tritium / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014316:Tritium