title: Radiation ecology issues associated with murine rodents and shrews in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
abstract: This article describes major studies performed by the Chernobyl Center's International Radioecology Laboratory (Slavutich, Ukraine) on radioecology of murine rodents and shrews inhabiting the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The article addresses the long-term (1986-2005) and seasonal dynamics of radioactive contamination of animals and reviews interspecies differences in radionuclide accumulations and factors affecting the radionuclide accumulations. It is shown that bioavailability of radionuclides in the "soil-to-plant" chain and a trophic specialization of animals play key roles in determining their actual contamination levels. The total absorbed dose rates in small mammals significantly reduced during the years following the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. In 1986, the absorbed dose rate reached 1.3-6.0 Gy h(-1) in the central areas of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (the "Red Forest"). In 1988 and 1990, the total absorbed dose rates were 1.3 and 0.42 Gy h(-1), respectively. In 1995, 2000, and 2005, according to the present study, the total absorbed dose rates rarely exceeded 0.00023, 0.00018, and 0.00015 Gy h(-1), respectively. Contributions of individual radiation sources into the total absorbed dose are described.
authors: Chernobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology, International Radioecology Laboratory, Slavutych, Ukraine.
authors: Sergey P
authors: SP
authors: Gaschak
authors: Yulia A
authors: YA
authors: Maklyuk
authors: Andrey M
authors: AM
authors: Maksimenko
authors: Mikhail D
authors: MD
authors: Bondarkov
authors: G Timothy
authors: GT
authors: Jannik
authors: Eduardo B
authors: EB
authors: Farfán
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000378:metabolism; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D004463:Ecology; D051189:Murinae / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012621:Seasons; D013045:Species Specificity; D013324:Strontium / Q000378:metabolism; D014197:Trees; D014455:Ukraine
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D013324:Strontium