In the study the activities of polonium 210Po and uranium 234U, 238U radionuclides in moss and lichen samples were determined using the alpha spectrometry. Different lichens and mosses were collected around the Sobieszewo Island (northern Poland) and investigated for potential use as biomonitors for 210Po and 238U deposition. Mosses and lichens have a high efficiency in capturing 210Po and 238U from atmospheric fallout. The obtained results showed that 210Po, 238U concentrations are changing in analyzed thallophytes samples depending on the type of thallus.

This work shows significant variations in the values of 210 Po in different analyzed Polish voivodeships. Statistical analysis of 210 Po activity concentrations in honey samples showed significant differences between place of honey collecting, kind of honey and morphological structure of plants from which bees collected nectar.

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The determination of polonium 210Po in human blood samples is presented and discussed in this paper. The human blood samples were collected from patients of Medical University of Gdańsk with ischaemic heart disease (morbus ischaemicus cordis, MIC). The polonium concentrations in analyzed human blood samples are very differentiated. 210Po is of particular interest in public health and although is present in the environment in extremely low amounts, it is easily bioaccumulated to the human body. The study shows that the amount of 210Po that is incorporated into the human body depends on the food habits and some difference in its levels could be observed between smokers and non-smokers.

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