title: Spatial patterns and ratios of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr, and Pu isotopes in the top layer of undisturbed meadow soils as indicators for contamination origin.
abstract: Spatial distribution of activity concentrations of (137)Cs, (90)Sr, and (239,240)Pu in the top layer of undisturbed meadow soils was compared between two regional transects across Lithuania: one in the SW region, more affected by the Chernobyl radioactive fallout, and the other in the NE region. Radiochemical, γ-, α-, β-, and mass spectrometric methods were used to determine the radionuclide activity. Our results validate that higher activity concentrations in the top soil layer were present in the SW region, despite the fact that sampling was performed after 22 years of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident. Using the activity concentration ratio (137)Cs/(239,240)Puglobal, the contribution of the Chernobyl NPP accident to the total radiocesium activity concentrations in these meadow soils was evaluated and found to be in the range of 6.5-59.1%. Meanwhile, the activity concentration ratio (238)Pu/(239,240)Pu showed that Chernobyl-derived Pu occurred at almost half of the sampling sites. The locations with maximal values of 47% of Chernobyl-derived Pu material were close to northeastern Poland, where deposition of most of non-volatile radioisotopes from the Chernobyl plume was determined.
authors.affiliation: State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Savanorių Ave. 231, LT-02300, Vilnius, Lithuania, bena@ar.fi.lt.
authors.forename: Benedikta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lukšienė
authors.forename: Andrius
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puzas
authors.forename: Vidmantas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Remeikis
authors.forename: Rūta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Druteikienė
authors.forename: Arūnas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gudelis
authors.forename: Rasa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gvozdaitė
authors.forename: Šarūnas
authors.initials: Š
authors.lastname: Buivydas
authors.forename: Rimantas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davidonis
authors.forename: Gintautas
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kandrotas
mesh_terms: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D065948:Grassland; D011005:Plutonium / Q000032:analysis; D011044:Poland; D011210:Power Plants; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; D011005:Plutonium