Effects of recuperative holidays on Chernobyl children's 137Cs body burden

Premi UAB de la Fundació Autònoma Solidària (FAS) als millors Treballs de Fi de Grau sobre desenvolupament sostenible i justícia global. 4a Edició, curs 2019/2020The goal of this project is to study the effects recuperative holidays have on the health of children affected by radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear accident. This is accomplished by reviewing data on child 137Cs body burdens, provided by NGOs participating in recuperative holiday programmes in Belarus, and interviews of the same organizations. A statistical analysis and subsequent modelling of provided data has been conducted, showing consistent reduction in 137Cs body burden during stays away from the contaminated area, and rates of excretion and incorporation. The reduction however is not significant over time, as the original amount of 137Cs in the body is almost re-established within a year following a stay abroad. The participants improve in social and psychological aspects, and benefit from the establishment of a support network. Therefore, focus from recuperative holiday programmes should prioritize these benefits. Long-term solutions to more permanently reduce body burden should also be developed

Concentrations and distribution of 210Pb in bird feathers and its potential for tracing age and flight times

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UABUnidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MBird feathers have been widely used as environmental indicators, providing key information on environmental pollution. However, there is little available information on the adsorption of natural radioactivity in bird feathers and consequently, its impact on the field of movement ecology is not yet known. This study investigates the concentration and distribution of 210Pb in wing- and tail-feathers of different bird species with contrasting migratory strategies, and discusses its potential use as a tracer of age and flight times. Adsorption of 210Pb in bird feathers is directly related to the interaction of feathers with air, therefore it is hypothesised that the presence of this radionuclide is proportional to the length of flight times, and is asymmetrically distributed in flight feathers. Consequently, a significant difference is expected between 210Pb concentrations in feathers of long-distance migrants when compared to sedentary species. For this purpose, a total of 45 samples from eight individuals of three bird species with distinct migratory strategies were analysed: a highly aerial and long-distance migratory species (Common swift Apus apus), and two largely sedentary species widely distributed across Europe (Great tit Parus major and Tawny owl Strix aluco). Novel findings show that the content of 210Pb in bird feathers of adult migratory birds is much higher than in sedentary birds or juvenile individuals, demonstrating this naturally occurring radionuclide can provide information about the contact time between feathers and air. Additionally, 210Pb adsorption was not evenly distributed in bird feathers. The findings provide a new method to trace age and flight time of birds using 210Pb in feathers, complementing conventional techniques in bird migration studies