Assessing Peculiarities of Radionuclides Accumulation in Links of Trophic Chains

Period: 2003

Customer: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, USA

Objective: comparative mathematical analysis of distribution peculiarities of 90Sr and 137Cs accumulation in links of trophic chains (a trophic chain including 4 elements: soil, a plant ( Molinia caerulea), an insect ( Camponotus vagus), an amphibian ( Pelobates fuscus) was chosen as a model).

Results of the project:

• It was discovered that all links of a trophic chain have logarithmically normal nature of radionuclides accumulation distribution level. Nevertheless, there was a regular decrease of excess (Crt) and asymmetry (Asm) indices in the following chain: soil–plant– animal, i.e. we could observe a levelling of trophic chains links contamination.
• The comparison results for corresponding “soil–plant” pairs demonstrated that specific activity of 90Sr increases by a factor of 3.4, and specific activity of 137Cs – by a factor of 9.1. The content of 90Sr in toads increased (at the expense of bone tissue), and 137Cs content somewhat decreased.

Director of International Radioecology Laboratory
Mykhailo D. Bondarkov
Tel. +38 04579 2 44 88
Fax +38 04579 6-15-62
bondarkov@chornobyl.net