Concentration of selected radionuclides in skulls of European badger Meles meles from eastern Poland

Abstract

Concentration activity levels of selected radionuclides in skulls of European badger from eastern Poland were determined. It was found that studied skull bones contained on average 1.6 ± 1.7 Bq kg -1 of 137 Cs (range: 0-6.4 Bq kg -1 ), 2.2 ± 0.87 Bq kg -1 of 90 Sr (range: 0.93-3.9 Bq kg -1 ), and 8.4 ± 4.1 Bq kg -1 of 239+240 Pu (range: 0-53 Bq kg -1 ). These values prove to be rather low in comparison with earlier literature data on anthropogenic radionuclides (being a result of the Chernobyl fallout) present in skulls of other mammals. This suggests that migration processes of anthropogenic radionuclides have caused a diminishing of contamination in the upper layer of soil.