Technogenic Radionuclides in Hydrobionts of the Northern Ukraine Water Bodies

Abstract

The peculiarities of accumulation of artificial radionuclides by higher aquatic plants and fish of water bodies of the Chernobyl exclusion zone and the territories of the western and southern traces of the Chernobyl accident release were analyzed and compared. In 2020-2021, <sup>90</sup>Sr activity concentration in higher aquatic plants of the cooling pond of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station, Lake Daleke, and the Yanivsky backwater accounted for 10-46 kBq/kg, <sup>137</sup>Cs - 5.4-47.0 kBq/kg, whereas in the Azbuchyn, Vershyna, and Glyboke lakes - respectively 64-419 kBq/kg and 9.3-63.4 kBq/kg. The activity concentration of <sup>90</sup>Sr in fish of the cooling pond of the Chernobyl NPS, Lake Daleke, and the Yanivsky backwater was 1.4-8.6 kBq/kg and <sup>137</sup>Cs -2.3-3.2 kBq/kg, whereas in the Azbuchyn, Vershyna, and Glyboke lakes - respectively 21-213 kBq/kg and 4.2-6.2 kBq/kg. In 2020-2021 in many studied water bodies located outside the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the levels of <sup>90</sup>Sr accumulation in helophytes did not differ reliably and accounted for about 10 Bq/kg. In helophytes of Lake Lisove, <sup>90</sup>Sr activity concentration attained 181 Bq/kg. The maximum activity concentration of <sup>137</sup>Cs in helophytes of the Kaniv Reservoir and the Irsha River was not more than 30 Bq/kg and in Lake Lisove it accounted for 16 920 Bq/kg, whereas in other water bodies located outside the Chernobyl exclusion zone - 65- 515 Bq/kg. The maximum activity concentration of <sup>137</sup>Cs in hydatophytes of the Bile, Luky, and Lisove lakes accounted for respectively 639, 1066, and 6417 Bq/kg and in other water bodies it was not more than 150 Bq/kg. The activity concentration of <sup>90</sup>Sr in fish organism of Lake Lisove attained 23 Bq/kg, whereas in other water bodies it was not more than 11.3 Bq/kg. The maximum activity concentration of <sup>137</sup>Cs in fish of Lake Lisove and Lake Bile accounted for respectively 1400 and 314 Bq/kg, in the Povchanske and Kyiv reservoirs - 154 and 124 Bq/kg, whereas in other water bodies it was not more than 38 Bq/kg.