Initiation of radioecological monitoring of forest soils and plants at the Lithuanian border region before the start of the Belarusian nuclear power plant operation

14C AND OTHER RADIONUCLIDES IN THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BORDER REGION OF LITHUANIA BEFORE THE START OF THE BELARUSIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT OPERATION

“…Analyzing briefly the data on 137 Cs specific activity in rowan leaves, one should pay attention to the 137 Cs activity changes at different sampling sites with time, as well as to spatial changes that depend on the areal distribution of 137 Cs inventory. The data on the specific activity of 137 Cs in typical soil profiles and various terrestrial plants have been studied in detail previously (Jefanova et al 2020). One of the main findings of the study (Jefanova et al 2020) was the recovering of changes in 137 Cs inventory in the north-south direction as follows: 970 ± 110 Bq/m 2 in sampling sites 1 and 2, 1625 ± 260 Bq/m 2 in sampling sites 3 and 4, 1170 ± 200 Bq/m 2 in sampling sites 5 and 6 and 1440 ± 240 Bq/m 2 in sampling sites 7 and 8.…”

“…Studies of the environmental consequences of the Chernobyl accident have evidenced that, for example, the uptake and retention of 137 Cs have generally been much higher in semi-natural ecosystems than in agricultural ecosystems (Balonov 2013). To represent terrestrial ecosystems in this study, the monitoring sites in forest ecosystems were established in the Lithuanian part of the 30-km zone of the BelNPP (Jefanova et al 2020). The eight sampling sites were selected near the Belarus-Lithuania border in a ∼60-km-long semi-regular arc (Figure 1).…”

“…Two geometries, 60 and 3 mL, were applied. Gamma-ray spectrometry using an ORTEC gamma-ray spectrometer with an HPGe GWL-120-15-LB-AWT detector (resolution 2.25 keV at 1.33 MeV) was applied to measure the specific activity of gamma-emitting radionuclides in biotic and soil samples (Gudelis et al 2000;Jefanova et al 2020).…”

“…The aim of the study (Marčiulionienė et al 2017) was to determine activities of 137 Cs and plutonium (Pu) isotopes and identify the sources of their origin in flooded soil and bottom sediments attributed to the water system of Neris and Nemunas Rivers and the Curonian Lagoon. The distribution of anthropogenic radionuclides ( 14 C, 3 H, 137 Cs, and 239,240 Pu) in forest soils and plants at the Lithuanian border region before the start of the BelNPP was analyzed by Jefanova et al (2020).…”

“…Cs specific activity (Bq/kg dry weight ± 1 sigma) of terrestrial plants (rowan leaves, Sorbus aucuparia) taken from Lithuanian part of the 30 km zone of the BelNPP, Belarus. AfterJefanova et al (2020). ** 137 Cs specific activity of soil Oh horizon (Bq/kg dry weight ± 1 sigma)/inventory of 137 Cs in soil (Bq/m 2 ± 1 sigma).…”