Mosses as biomonitors for radioactivity following the Chernobyl accident

Cuculovic, Ana; Cuculovic, Rodoljub; Cvetić-Antić, Tijana; Veselinović, Dragan

doi:10.2298/abs1104117c

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…( 2.3) and (2.2), respectively, are reported in table 2 and shown in figure 5, together with its physical halflife (t 1/2 ), for all investigated samples. Our values are in good agreement with the literature [13,14], where the cesium biological half-life in different moss species is lower than ten years. Reported values of biological half-life for the different species collected are in good agreement with the activity concentration results (see table 2 and figure 4).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

¹³⁷Cs activity concentration in mosses in the Calabria region, south of Italy

Caridi¹,

Belvedere²,

D’Agostino³

et al. 2017

J. Inst.

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Many studies carried out after the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 showed that mosses are suitable bioindicators of the radioactive fall-out, given their long life expectancy. 137 Cs activity concentration was measured through HPGe gamma spectrometry in different mosses (Hypnum Cupressiforme, Hypnum Andoi, Homalothecium Sericeum, Philonotis Fontana), collected, in 2008 and 2015, from four sampling sites in the Calabria region, south of Italy.Experimental specific activities allowed us to determine the effective and the biological halftime of 137 Cs for the investigated plants. The effective half-time was found in the range from (4.2 ± 1.1) to (7.4 ± 1.8) years; the biological half-time varied from (4.9 ± 1.3) to (9.9 ± 2.4) years.Data reported in this article provide useful information on the environmental risk of the studied area and can be further used for a radiological mapping. K: Radiation damage to detector materials (solid state); Dosimetry concepts and apparatus 1Corresponding author.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

¹³⁷Cs activity concentration in mosses in the Calabria region, south of Italy

Caridi¹,

Belvedere²,

D’Agostino³

et al. 2017

J. Inst.

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“…Except for the high 137 Cs uptake in Bryum , activity seemed to be determined predominantly by the substrate. A previous study in Serbia [ 23 ] found substrate to moss ratios of 0.27 to 0.92, but did not identify parameters controlling Cs availability. In the Chornobyl area, pond sediments in shallow waters exhibited the highest 137 Cs concentrations at the very surface [ 14 ], and the very same situation can be assumed for sediments, which have become dry only recently.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Uptake of Radionuclides by Bryophytes in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone

Schmidt

Kegler

Steinhäuser

et al. 2023

Toxics

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The “Chernobyl nuclear disaster” released huge amounts of radionuclides, which are still detectable in plants and sediments today. Bryophytes (mosses) are primitive land plants lacking roots and protective cuticles and therefore readily accumulate multiple contaminants, including metals and radionuclides. This study quantifies 137Cs and 241Am in moss samples from the cooling pond of the power plant, the surrounding woodland and the city of Prypiat. Activity concentrations of up to 297 Bq/g (137Cs) and 0.43 Bq/g (241Am) were found. 137Cs contents were significantly higher at the cooling pond, where 241Am was not detectable. Distance to the damaged reactor, amount of original fallout, presence of vascular tissue in the stem or taxonomy were of little importance. Mosses seem to absorb radionuclides rather indiscriminately, if available. More than 30 years after the disaster, 137Cs was washed out from the very top layer of the soil, where it is no more accessible for rootless mosses but possibly for higher plants. On the other hand, 137Cs still remains solved and accessible in the cooling pond. However, 241Am remained adsorbed to the topsoil, thus accessible to terrestrial mosses, but precipitated in the sapropel of the cooling pond.

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“…In midlatitudes, the 7 Be's seasonal variations show a maximum in summer and a minimum in winter and it is certainly one of the radionuclides regularly taken by mosses (15)(16)(17)(18). Although extensive research on radionuclides in air and bioindicators due to the contamination from nuclear probes and reactor breakdowns is available, there are limited data on natural radionuclides content in air or mosses especially for rural areas (19)(20)(21)(22)(23). The purpose of this paper is to present activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in different moss species collected at the territory of eastern Serbia in the period 2008-2013. .…”

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confidence: 99%