Study of radionuclides and heavy metal migration through soil profiles (0-60cm) at points near the targets of NATO strikes in 1995: environmental monitoring and assessment.

Abstract

The activity concentrations of natural and artificial radionuclides (40K, 232Th, 226Ra, 238U, 137Cs) and concentrations of six heavy metals of interest (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) were investigated in 18 soil samples through soil depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40.40-50, 50-60cm) at the three selected sites in the Hadžići. Since at this area ammunition with depleted uranium had been used during the NATO strikes in 1995, this study was conducted with the aim to assess the radiological and environmental health hazards. Radioactivity was determined by gamma spectrometry using HPGe and LEGE detectors and content of heavy metals by using a flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The correlation with distribution of the radionuclides and their activity concentrations through depths was found only at the site 1 for 40K, 232Th and 226Ra, where minimum/maximum activity concentrations for 40K were 814.42Bq/kg/1039.48Bq/kg, for 232Th 53.98Bq/kg/74.12Bq/kg and for 226Ra 50.32Bq/kg/65.73Bq/kg. Vertical distribution of 137Cs along 3 site profiles was used for distinction of cultivated and uncultivated soil. Using the activity ratio of 238U/226Ra and 235U/238U, the presence of depleted uranium (DU) was established at the site 3. Obtained Igeo values for determined heavy metals showed that all of three sites were unpolluted to moderately polluted. Pb content in all three sites showed correlation with concentration decreasing with increasing soil depth.