Plutonium, 90Sr and 241Am in human bones from southern and northeastern parts of Poland

The paper presents the results of our study on 238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Am and 90Sr concentration in human bones carried out on a set of 88 individual samples of central Europe origin. Bone tissue samples were retrieved under surgery while introducing hip joint implants. The conducted surgeries tend to cover either southern or northeastern parts of Poland. While for the southern samples only global fallout was expected to be seen, a mixed global and Chernobyl fallout were to be reflected in the others. Alpha spectrometry was applied to obtain activity concentration for 238Pu, 239?240Pu, 241Am, while liquid scintillation spectrometry for 90Sr and mass spectrometry to receive 240Pu/239Pu mass ratio. Surprisingly enough, and to the contrary to our expectations we could not see any significant differences in either Pu activity or Pu mass ratio between the studied populations. In both populations Chernobyl fraction proved marginal. The results on 90Sr and 241Am confirm similarities between the two examined groups

Elevated plutonium and americium content in skulls of small mammals

It has been found that in skull bones of small mammals have significantly higher Pu and Am concentrations than ever found in bones of any other species in areas contaminated by global fallout. Since there was no difference between skulls of rodents and insectivorous, an explanation is proposed that the contamination takes place by the inhalation of Pu and Am tiny soil particles

Accumulation properties of Norway spruce (Picea abies) for different radionuclides

The paper presents results for the 137Cs, 90Sr, 40K activity concentrations and 228Th/232Th, 230Th/232Th activity ratios in several samples needles from two Norway spruce (Picea abies) trees and two soil samples collected in the Tatra Mountains (Poland) area. Activities for artificial 137Cs and 90Sr show moderate values. Statistically different values were found between the mean concentration of 90Sr and 137Cs in current (C) and two years old (C+2) needles of the first tree, whereas for potassium no significant difference was observed. For the second, fallen tree, no significant difference between the mean activity concentration in needles for C+1 and C+2 was found for each radionuclide, but much lower levels of 137Cs contamination were observed. Observed values of the aggregation coefficients for 137Cs and 90Sr are presented

Activity ratios of thorium isotopes in living species compared with other environmental samples

Since about ten years our laboratory is conducting studies on the determination of Pu in many environmental samples, among them also the biological ones. Plutonium results were already discussed elsewhere [1, 4, 5, 8–21, 27]. In the course of radiochemical procedure for plutonium separation a thorium fraction was separated for each sample. Since we had not used any thorium tracer in the past, thorium activities were not determined. However, always alpha sources were prepared and then measured. This produced a relatively large archive of thorium alpha spectra from which one can study activity ratios of thorium isotopes. Two ratios seems to be interesting. The first is the Th to Th activity ratio. Both these isotopes are the Th-series members and, therefore, one might expect equilibrium. Usually this is not the case. Another subject is the activity ratio between Th and Th. One can tell that there is no relation between these two isotopes and, therefore, this ratio should not bring any information. The first isotope belongs to the U series, it is a decay product of U. The second one is just a primordial parent of the Th series. So, one can expect, that this ratio will generally reflect the activity ratio between the U and Th series for a given environment. However, this ratio might be modified by weak effects and this possibility should be taken into consideration

40K, 137Cs, 90Sr, 238,239+240Pu and 241Am in mammals' skulls from owls' pellets and owl skeletons in Poland

Skulls of small mammals belonging to two species of rodents and three species of insectivores collected in Eastern Poland were the subject of the present investigation. The skulls were separated from owl pellets. Activities of 40K, 137Cs, 90Sr, 238,239+240Pu and 241Am were determined by means of gamma spectrometry as well as liquid scintillation spectrometry or alpha spectrometry along with relevant radiochemical procedures. A detailed description of the procedures is provided. The research was supplied with the analysis of three skeletons of owls. No measurable difference between the skulls of rodents and insectivorous animals with regard to activity of any of the examined radionuclides was found. No accumulation effect in the owl skeletons was detected. Though measured activities of 137Cs and 40K for the skulls were of the same magnitude as those found previously for large wild herbivorous animals from typical locations in Poland, those for 90Sr were even lower than previously determined. A big difference was found for activities of plutonium and americium isotopes. Their mean activities were higher by an order of magnitude when compared to the examined previously values. The maximum 239+240Pu activity was equal to 97.5±7.7 mBq/kg, with 65% of it originating from global fallout. Relatively high content of transuranic elements found for rodents and insectivorous mammals seems to be unrelated to their feeding habits and should rather be attributed to the living conditions. It is suggested that small mammals, together with tiny soil particles present in mid-soil living tunnels, can inhale the transuranic elements

Plutonium, americium, 90 Sr and 137 Cs in bones of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) from Eastern Poland

90Sr, 238,239+240Pu, 241Am and 137Cs activity concentrations are presented in the jaw bones of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) from eastern Poland. The short description of the applied radiochemical method is presented. Activity concentrations for 90Sr ranged between 2.2±0.7 and 41.4±4.7 Bq/kg (aw = ash weight). Average results for plutonium and americium are on the level of 10 mBq/kg (aw). No clear relationship was observed among the radionuclide concentrations. The samples analyzed do not show elevated contamination levels when compared with results of bones of small animals (rodent or insectivorous mammals) determined previously, so no accumulation of bone seeking isotopes on higher step of food-chain is concluded

Radionuclides in two rised peat profiles collected from Kościeliska Valley in the Tatra Mountains

The activities of 239+240Pu, 238Pu, 241Am, 90Sr, 137Cs, 40K, 228Ac were measured as well as the activity ratios of 228Th to 232Th and 230Th to 232Thin samples of two rised peat profiles collected from Kocieliska Valley in the Western Tatra Mountains in 2002 and 2003. Results show somedifferences in the vertical distribution of examined radionuclides. Calculated cumulated deposition in the deeper profile is equal to 6.9±0.2 kBq/m2(137Cs), 168±11 Bq/m2 (239+240Pu), 4.3±0.8 Bq/m2 (238Pu), 33±3 Bq/m2 (241Am) and 607±11 Bq/m2 (90Sr). Therefore, it seems that radiostrontiumwas partially removed from the examined part of the profile. The peat grow-up rate was estimated from the position of the maxima of the verticaldistribution of radiocesium and plutonium (6 to 8 mm/y), and from the determination of the vertical distribution of 210Pb (1.25 mm/y). Thediscrepancy seems to be due to the solubility of lead

Experimental results on the environmental samples collected around sites in South Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro where DU weapons were deployed in 1999

In a survey performed to estimate the presence of DU in regions where DU ammunition had been deployed, no clear evidence of its presence in the local environment or in the bodies of local inhabitants was observed, except in samples that came into direct or very close contact with DU penetrators. The activity ratios of particular interest (235U to 238U and 234U to 238U) in general tend to show typical values observed in the natural environment. The only environmental sample analyzed by alpha spectrometry to show an abnormal activity ratio suggesting the presence of DU was a piece of scrap metal covered with dust. This may have been an element of military equipment that had been fired at with DU armor-piercing ammunition. Samples of dust collected on air filters were too small to obtain conclusive results. Large volume air samplers should be used in the future to study the environmental pathways of DU over longer time periods