Radiation biology. Radioecology
ISSN: 0869-8031

Archives → 2022 → Vol. 62, № 5 → pp. 543-554

Article

Accumulation of ¹³⁷Cs by Cladonia Lichens in the Impact Zone of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant

Popova M.B.¹, Lipatov D.N.², Manakhov D.V.², Kizeev A.N.³, Ushamova S.F.⁴

¹Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia ²Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia ³North-West Scientific Center for Hygiene and Public Health of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, St. Petersburg, Russia ⁴Lapland State Nature Biosphere Reserve, Murmansk region, Monchegorsk, Russia

Abstract

The accumulation of ¹³⁷Cs and its stratification in Cladonia lichens growing in the Kola nuclear power plant area have been studied. For this, samples of reindeer lichens were selected at 12 test sites in the sanitary protection zone of the station, the observation zone and in the background area. The specific activities of ¹³⁷Cs in the samples were determined using a scintillation gamma spectrometer. The weighted average specific activities of ¹³⁷Cs in Cladonia lichens were 22.3–104.8 Bq/kg, while most of the radiocaesium was concentrated in the upper layers of the lichen. Statistical data processing using a single-sample t-test, Spearman’s coefficient, and cluster analysis indicated the dominant role of global fallout in the ¹³⁷Cs input into the lichens, while the possible impact of the Kola nuclear power plant on this process is limited to the sanitary protection zone.

Keywords

Cladonia lichens, ¹³⁷Cs, ⁴⁰K, Kola Nuclear Power Plant, correlation analysis