title: Ecological half-life of 137Cs in lichens in an alpine region.
abstract: About 17 years after the Chernobyl accident, lichen samples were collected in an alpine region in Austria (Bad Gastein), which was heavily contaminated by the Chernobyl fallout. Measured 137Cs activity concentrations in selected lichens (Cetraria islandica, Cetraria cucullata, and Cladonia arbuscula) ranged from 100 to 1100 Bq kg(-1) dry weight, depending on lichen species and sampling site. Ecological half-lives for 137Cs in different lichen samples, obtained by comparison with earlier measurements of the same lichen species at the same site, ranged from 2 to 6 years, with average values between 3 and 4 years. Comparison with earlier studies indicated that ecological half-lives hardly changed during the last 10 years, suggesting that ecological clearance mechanisms (e.g. washout or soil transfer) did not vary substantially at the selected sampling area.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physics and Biophysics, Department of Materials Engineering and Physics, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Machart
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Türk
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Steger
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D001317:Austria; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D004463:Ecology; D005843:Geography; D006207:Half-Life; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D013997:Time Factors; D014455:Ukraine
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011847:Radioactive Fallout