Radiobiological monitoring of striped field mouse populations in the Moscow recreation forest “Kuzminki”

Abstract

The results of radiometric and haematological studies of striped field mice ( Apodemus agrarius) sampled over the years 1995–2003 from the territory of the preserved radioactive waste burial (RWB), which is located in the Moscow recreation forest “Kuzminki”, are presented and discussed in the paper. It was shown that the level of 90Sr– 90Y content in mice sampled from the RWB area varies within the range of 0–1200 Bq/kg with an average of 98.7 ± 21.5 Bq/kg. The content of 90Sr– 90Y in the body of 80% of the mice sampled from the RWB area was below 100 Bq/kg. Only in 4% of the sampled mice, the 90Sr– 90Y specific radioactivity was above 300 Bq/kg. Haematological indications of the animals sampled from the RWB area were within the range of normal physiological fluctuations. Nevertheless, a slight but statistically significant increase in the average amount of erythrocytes and the average percentage of banded neutrophils was registered in peripheral blood of the mice.