Sv. Mamikhin et al., DYNAMICS OF CS-137 IN THE FORESTS OF THE 30-KM ZONE AROUND THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR-POWER-PLANT, Science of the total environment, 193(3), 1997, pp. 169-177
Dynamics of the Cs-137 content in the components of the forests in the
30-km zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) in 1986-199
4 are associated mainly with such factors as the size of radioactive p
articles in the fallout, ecosystem humidification and soil type, tree
age. The influence of particle size was especially noticable between 1
986-1987 and was displayed by low biological availability of radionucl
ides in the near part of the zone (within the 10-km radius circle arou
nd the NPP) in comparison with more distant regions (within the 30-km
radius circle). Later, the expression of this influence decreased and
transfer factor (the ratio of Cs-137 content in overground phytomass t
o the soil contamination density) became approximately the same for al
l plots with similar ecological and fallout characteristics. Humidity
of landscape and soil type determined the velocity of radionuclide ver
tical migration in the soil and Cs-137 biological availability. These
parameters were maximum for the hydromorphic soils of wet landscapes e
nriched in organic substance and poor clayey minerals. Differences of
Cs-137 accumulation in overground phytomass of trees caused by tree ag
e are displayed in the higher Cs-137 concentration in structural parts
of young trees as compared with old ones. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier
Science B.V.