Accumula- tion radionuclides 137Cs in plants of grass-bush in tier subors of Ukrainian Polissia

Abstract

The modern radioactive contamination of the representatives of the grass-bush tier of pine plantations in the conditions of subors forests of Ukrainian Polissia is investigated. The density of radioactive soil contamination within the sample plots varied from 148 to 440 kBq/m2. Significant fluctuations of the specific activity values of 137Cs for all research species were found — from 6166 Bq/kg to 171862 Bq/kg. The maximum values of 137Cs were found in terrestrial phytomass of Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, and minimal — in Vaccinium uliginosum L. Intensity indices of 137Cs in terrestrial phytomass of grass-bush tier for all research species varied in wide ranges: the coefficient of accumulation from 0.8 to 58.6, the transition factor — from 17 to 574 m2·kg–1·10–3. According to the results of one-factor dispersion analysis, the representatives of the grass-bush cover on the ability to accumulate 137Cs were classified in 6 groups. By the accumulation intensity of 137Cs in subors forests, the plants can be placed in the following order: Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn > Melampyrum pretense L. > Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull > Vaccinium myrtillus L. > Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench > Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. > Ledum palustre L. > Vaccinium uliginosum L. The concentration of 137Cs in the species of grass-bush cover has a close linear relationship with the magnitude of the density of soil radioactive contamination.