137Cs Concentrations Research Articles

Applicability of reconstruction of temporal changes in 137Cs concentrations in pond water based on the vertical distribution of bottom sediments: a case in three ponds in the Fukushima evacuation zone.

Long-term changes in particulate and dissolved 137Cs concentrations in rivers and dam reservoirs have been reconstructed using 137Cs depth distributions in bottom sediments near Chornobyl and Fukushima. However, few studies have applied this method to pond water. This study tested the applicability of this reconstruction method in ponds within the Fukushima evacuation zone. Bottom sediments in ponds were collected in November 2019. Our reconstruction of a shallow closed pond disagreed with our observations. Even in ponds where the reconstruction agreed well with observations, underestimations may have occurred because the time constant for the decrease in 137Cs concentration was lower than those previously reported. We conclude that the present reconstruction method may be applied to deeper Fukushima ponds with inflow and outflow, but underestimations of initial 137Cs concentrations in water may lead to uncertainties. For realistic reconstruction, attention should be paid to pond characteristics, catchment conditions, and sediment core selection.

Study of seasonal variation of accident-derived atmospheric radiocesium in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan during 2011-2014.

This study measured the atmospheric concentration and deposition flux of radiocesium in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, from November 2011 to October 2014. The results show synchronous seasonal change in atmospheric concentration and deposition flux of radiocesium, which is high during winter to early spring and low during summer to autumn. These seasonal variations are similar to those observed in Fukushima City but differ from those in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, comprising a larger contaminated forest area. The evaluation of the relationship between atmospheric 137Cs concentration or 137Cs specific activity in atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and deposition density of 137Cs in PM source area suggest that stronger winds blowing from areas with relatively large 137Cs deposition (west of Koriyama City) toward the study site affect the site's atmospheric 137Cs concentrations.

Effects of Large-Scale Wildfires on the Redistribution of Radionuclides in the Chornobyl River System.

Wildfires in radiologically contaminated areas raise significant concerns due to potential radionuclides redistribution and increased public radiation exposure. This study examined the impact of the 2020 Chornobyl wildfire on the redistribution of radionuclides, specifically 137Cs and 90Sr, in the Chornobyl River system. We determined the quantities and speciation of 137Cs and 90Sr in charred residues and soil after wildfires and analyzed the riverine concentrations of these radionuclides based on long-term monitoring data. Our findings indicate that the inventories of 137Cs and 90Sr in the charred residues and soil decreased with increasing distance from the nuclear power plant, which is consistent with the initial deposition patterns. However, the transfer of 137Cs and 90Sr from soil to charred residues did not correspond to the distance, type of contamination source, or fire type. Speciation analysis revealed that the water-soluble fractions of 137Cs and 90Sr in the charred residues were significantly higher than those in the soil, implying increased mobility. Following the wildfires, no significant increase in 137Cs concentration was observed in a river catchment in Chornobyl. However, 90Sr concentrations showed a significant increase, exceeding the permissible levels in drinking water (2 Bq/L) in Ukraine. This increase is attributed to hydrologically driven mobilization processes: (1) during snowmelt in spring and (2) the transport of soluble 90Sr from charred residues and surface soil into the river during high suspended solid concentration events. Collectively, our findings highlight the importance of continuous monitoring of radionuclide dynamics in postwildfire environments to better assess potential radionuclide redistribution and radiation exposure risks. These results provide valuable insights into the behavior of 137Cs and 90Sr in river systems affected by wildfires, contributing to a more accurate understanding of their environmental impacts and potential countermeasures.

Species-specific trends of plutonium, radiocesium, and potassium-40 levels in three fish species of the Yenisei river (Siberia, Russia)

The Yenisei is the largest river in the Northern Hemisphere receiving controlled radioactive discharges from nuclear facilities. The paper presents a comparative study of temporal trends of artificial radionuclides plutonium (239,240Pu) and radiocesium (137Cs), and a natural isotope of the essential macronutrient potassium (40K) in samples of three commercial fish species (Northern pike, Baikal grayling, and Siberian dace) occupying different positions in a trophic network in the Yenisei River (Siberia, Russia). Samples of fish were caught in the Yenisei in 2011–2020 during a period of significant changes in controlled radioactive releases into the river. The study has shown no increase in plutonium concentration in fish samples within two years after the upsurge in controlled Pu discharge into the river (2018–2020). Average activity concentration of 239,240Pu (mBq∙kg−1 d.w., range, mean ± sd) in muscle of grayling (0.6–31.8, 10.9 ± 8.6) was higher (p < 0.01) than in muscle of dace (1.0–4.4, 2.4 ± 1.2) and pike (1.1–11, 3.8 ± 2.9). This can be attributed to the feeding of grayling on benthic invertebrates rich in Pu. The concentration of Pu tended to increase in muscle of pike with the increasing size of the fish. Average activity concentration of 137Cs (Bq∙kg−1 d.w., range, mean ± sd) in muscle of pike, a piscivorous fish (1.8–23.4, 7.7 ± 5.1), was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than the average activity concentration of 137Cs in muscle of dace (0.7–5.7, 2.7 ± 1.6) and grayling (1.3–7.2, 2.5 ± 1.7). A similar effect was revealed for 40K. This can be attributed to biomagnification of 137Cs and 40K in food chains. The results will draw a baseline for assessment of dose-dependent ecological risks for wild fish itself and fish consumers, add field-based facts to the fundamental knowledge of behavior of artificial radionuclides in freshwater food chains, and suggests a hypothesis for consequent experimental studies.

Highly-selective and well-effective removal of cesium ions by segregative titanium-ferrocyanide/chitosan melamine sponge composite

Selectively and efficiently removing Cs is of great urgency and challenge for the treatment of radioactive wastewater. In this work, titanium-ferrocyanide/chitosan melamine sponge composite (TFCM) was synthesized by cross-linking and titanium-doping strategy, and employed to remove Cs+ from water. The obtained TFCM exhibited excellent adsorption performance for Cs+, due to its porous and 3D skeleton structure. The TFCM demonstrated a broad range of pH (pH = 3–11) suitability and high removal ratio of Cs+. The adsorption behavior of TFCM on Cs+ conformed to the Langmuir adsorption process and pseudo-second-order kinetics model. Remarkably, TFCM displayed a high selectivity in Cs+ adsorption with the presence of other cationic (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+). TFCM could easily be separated from water because of loading on the melamine sponges. Besides, the TFCM could maintain more than 78.1 % removal ratio of Cs+ after five adsorption-desorption cycles. Furthermore, the concentration of Cs+ could decrease to 10 μg/L from 20 mg/L with a prominent removal ratio of 99.95 %. Characterization results revealed that the adsorption process of Cs+ by TFCM was dominated by ion-exchange. In summary, the TFCM is a high selectivity, efficiently and easily separable adsorbent with excellent application prospects for removing Cs from radioactive wastewater.

Echoes of a Cold War

The Kara Sea was an area of radionuclide contamination as a result of nuclear weapons testing, since it is located in close proximity to the nuclear test site on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The vertical distribution of 137Cs and 210Pb in 15 sediment cores from the sea made it possible to reconstruct the chronology of 137Cs entry into marine sediments. The reconstruction was based on the age-depth model RUS2023 (Rusakov et al., 2024) for 210Pbex, taking into account the grain-size composition and sorption capacity of sediments. Our study showed that higher 137Cs concentrations in sediments of the Novaya Zemlya Trough correspond to the time of active nuclear weapons testing in 1961–63 (about 9.0±1.6 Bq kg‒1), as well as in estuarine sediments of the Yenisei Bay in 1986 (85.2±3.2 Bq kg‒1). The abnormally high flux in 1980s represents the superposition of 137Cs fluxes as a result of global fallout (Chernobyl trace) and as a result of the release of radionuclide from regional source located in the Yenisei River catchment. Both of these events are associated with increased the sedimentation and mass accumulation rates of marine sediments. In 1961‒63, this was a consequence of the release of sediment into the atmosphere due to nuclear explosions, and in the 1980s, as a result of an increase in sediment supply with river runoff. Currently, against the backdrop of a decrease in sediment fluxes into the sea, Novaya Zemlya and Yenisei River remain the main sources of 137Cs supply to marine sediments. Background values for recent sediments in the Kara Sea are <2.0 Bq kg‒1.

Numerical modelling of radionuclide uptake by bluefin tuna along its migration routes in the Mediterranean Sea after a nuclear accident

A numerical model which simulates the adsorption of radionuclides by migrating bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea is described, in order to determine the level of contamination of these fish after a hypothetical nuclear accident and thus be able to assess the possible impact on human consumption. A 4–species foodweb model is incorporated into a Lagrangian model describing physical transport (advection, mixing, radioactive decay and interactions of radionuclides with sediments). Tuna is the last trophic level in the foodweb model and the equation providing the temporal evolution of radionuclide concentration in its flesh is solved along the fish trajectories, which were obtained through electronic tagging of fishes. The model was applied to the western Mediterranean, where several worst–case hypothetical accidents were simulated, both from a coastal nuclear power plant and from a vessel. Resulting 137Cs concentrations in migrating tuna were similar, or slightly higher, than reported background concentrations in these fishes and well below established safety levels. Maximum calculated concentrations in tuna flesh is in the order of 1 Bq/kg (wet weight). This is due to the rapid movement of the fishes, which spend only limited time over the most contaminated spots.

Modeling Cs-137 Migration in Groundwater due to Low Probability Event of Leaching from Near Surface Disposal Facility for Low Level Solid Radioactive Waste

In this paper, we present impact of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) disposal in a Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) with respect to groundwater migration and its consumption for drinking. We employ the Multiple Area Source Model for simulating the fate of radionuclide in groundwater to evaluate its potential contamination due to extremely low probability event of leaching from the NSDF. The assessment conservatively assumes direct interaction between disposal trenches and the underlying aquifer neglecting the barrier provided by the unsaturated zone. Temporal profiles of concentration of Cs-137 at different down flow distances in groundwater are obtained over a period extending several years post-disposal. The results indicate that even under such a worst-case conservative scenario and for an annual disposal rate of 3 TBq/y for a period of 50y, the maximum Cs-137 concentration in groundwater remains significantly below the safe drinking water threshold of 10 Bq/L recommended by the World Health Organization. It is found that amount of Cs-137 generally disposed in NSDF is significantly lower than the allowable disposal limit corresponding to concentration defined for safe drinking water limit.

The Cross-Verification of Different Methods for Soil Erosion Assessment of Natural and Agricultural Low Slopes in the Southern Cis-Ural Region of Russia

The conventional measuring methods (runoff plots and soil morphological comparison) and models (WaTEM/SEDEM and regional model of Russian State Hydrological Institute (SHI)) were tested with regard to the Southern Cis-Ural region of Russia, along with data from rainfall simulation for assessing soil erosion. Compared with conventional methods, which require long-running field observations, using erosion models and rainfall simulation is less time-consuming and is found to be fairly accurate for assessing long-term average rates of soil erosion and deposition. In this context, 137Cs can also be used as a marker of soil redistribution on the slope. The data of soil loss and sedimentation rates obtained by using conventional measuring methods were in agreement with the data based on the used contemporary modeling approaches. According to the erosion model calculations and data on the fallout of radionuclides in the Southern Cis-Ural (54°50–25′ N and 55°44–50′ E), the average long-term annual soil losses were ~1.3 t·ha−1 yr−1 in moderate (5°) arable slopes and ~0.2 t·ha−1 yr−1 in meadows. In forests, surface erosion is negligible, or its rates are similar to the rate of soil formation of clay–illuvial chernozems. The rates of soil erosion and sediment deposition on the arable land obtained using different methods were found to be very close. All the methods, including the WaTEM/SEDEM, allowed us to measure both soil erosion and intra-slope sedimentation. The regional SHI model fairly accurately assesses soil erosion in the years when erosion events occurred; however, soil erosion as a result of snowmelt did not occur every year, which should be taken into account when modeling. The concentrations of 137Cs in the topsoil layer (0–20 cm) varied from 0.9 to 9.8 Bq·kg−1, and the 137Cs inventories were 1.6–5.1 kBq·m−2, with the highest values found under the forest. The air dose rate in the forest was higher than in open areas and above the average of 0.12 μSv·h−1 on the slope (0.1 μSv·h−1 in the meadow and 0.08 μSv·h−1 on the arable land), with the value increasing from the watershed to the lower part of the slope in all the areas. The γ-background level in the studied ecosystems did not exceed the maximum permissible levels.

The Effect of Radionuclide and Chemical Contamination on Morphological and Anatomical Parameters of Plants

This article presents the results of a study of the influence of radionuclide and chemical pollution on the morphological and anatomical parameters of Calamagróstis epigéjos plants growing in the territory of “Degelen” at the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS). Quantitative data of morphological and anatomical parameters are given, and the content of radionuclides and toxic elements in samples of plants obtained. Statistical processing of the obtained data was conducted. The results revealed that elevated concentrations of radionuclides 137Cs and 90Sr, and the calculated absorbed dose, do not have effects on plants. Changes in the anatomical parameters of leaves and stems were observed at elevated concentrations of the elements: for leaves—Al, Pb, Sr, U, Ni, Rb, Sm; for stems—Al, Cr, Cd, U, Cu, Be, Ni, Sm, Fe. The mesophyll of the leaves and the epidermis of the stems were the most exposed to toxic elements. The data of the anatomical parameters are recommended to be used as indicative parameters of plants grown in chemically contaminated areas.

Радиоэкологические исследования в районе архипелага Земля Франца-Иосифа в августе и сентябре 2023 года

The results of a study of the current activity of technogenic isotopes in the coastal zone of the Alexandra Land island of the Franz Josef Land archipelago are presented. Samples of sea water, algae, bottom sediments, soil and vegetation were taken during an expedition carried out under the auspices of the Northern Fleet and the Russian Geographical Society in August and September 2023. In the marine environment and littoral macrophytes, the content of technogenic 137Cs is gradually decreasing in comparison with the indicators of the previous period 2000–2010. In the terrestrial ecosystem, the distribution 137Cs is mosaic; the highest specific activity is found in soils (up to 71.4 Bq/kg). In single samples, the presence of the short-lived isotope 134Cs was noted, which is an indicator of relatively recent atmospheric fallout in the Arctic.

Activity concentrations of 60 Co, 137Cs and 241Am in sieved soil and soil inclusions from the «Taiga» peaceful nuclear explosions site

The article presents results of comparative study of 137Cs, 60Co, and 241Am activity concentrations in components of the soil samples collected in 2009 on the territory adjacent to the «Taiga» peaceful nuclear explosions site (the Perm region, Russia). The objective of the study was to identify differences between: 1) non fractionated native soil, 2) the soil passed through a sieve with a mesh size of 1.2 mm, and 3) the screened out coarse components. Measurements of the radionuclides activities in counting samples were performed using a semiconductor gamma spectrometer. Statistically significantly lower activity concentrations of 137Cs (factor of 1.2), 60Co (factor of 2.2) and 241Am (factor of 2.6) were found in the finely dispersed sieved fraction of soil compared to the native soil. On the opposite, in the solid radioactive inclusions selected from the screened out coarse fraction, the activity concentrations of 137Cs, 60Co and 241Am were significantly higher compared to those in the native soil. Especially large differences (up to a factor of 10 and more) between the native soil and radioactive inclusions were observed for the refractory and low-volatile 60Co and 241Am. Presumably, these radionuclides were concentrated predominantly in the glassy substance of the radioactive inclusions. For 137Cs, the unevenness in the contamination of different soil components was less pronounced. The results obtained will be used to standardize methods for assessing radioactive contamination of the territory at the sites of peaceful nuclear explosions

Dynamics of 137Cs concentrations in cow milk in the districts of Bryansk region

The publication continues the series of research addressed to the dynamics of 137Cs concentrations in agricultural products after the Chernobyl accident. The purpose of the present paper was to analyze the data describing the changes of 137Cs concentrations in cow milk. The information on countermeasures in animal breeding is presented, the system of radiological monitoring of milk contamination is described. It is shown that the dynamics of 137Cs concentrations in milk was seriously affected by the implementation of agrotechnical and veterinary measures. Effective half-lives of 137Cs concentrations in milk in the first period after the accident (1987-1992) ranged from 1 to 2.0 years. In the subsequent period (1991-2015), the reduction of milk contamination slowed down and the half-lives ranged from 5 to 25 years depending on the scope of remediation works and 137Cs aging in the soil.

Development of a three-dimensional variational data assimilation system for 137Cs based on WRF-Chem model and applied to the Fukushima nuclear accident

Abstract Nuclear explosions and accidents release large amounts of radionuclides that harm human health and the environment. Accurate forecasting of nuclide pollutants and assessment of the ramifications of nuclear incidents are necessary for the emergency response and disaster assessment of nuclide pollution. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional variational (3Dvar) system to assimilate 137Cs based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model. The distribution of 137Cs after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan on 15 March 2011 was analysed. The 137Cs background field at 06:00 UTC was assimilated using a 3Dvar system and surface observational data to optimise the 137Cs analysis field. Compared with the background field, the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bias in the 137Cs analysis field decreased by 98% and 94%, respectively. The average fraction of predictions within factors of 2 (FAC2), 5 (FAC5), and 10 (FAC10) increased from 0.67, 0.72, and 0.72 to 0.90, 1.00, and 1.00, respectively. This substantial enhancement indicated the effectiveness of the 3DVar system in mitigating the uncertainty associated with the background field. Two 12 h forecast experiments were conducted to gauge the advancement in 137Cs forecasting facilitated by data assimilation (DA). The control experiment was conducted without DA, whereas the assimilation experiment was conducted with DA. Compared with the control experiment, the average FAC2, FAC5, and FAC10 in the assimilation experiment increased by 28%, 30%, and 29%, respectively. The average RMSE decreased by 33%. The mean bias and correlation coefficient increased by 41% and 36%, respectively. These results indicated that the 3Dvar method improves the forecast accuracy of 137Cs concentration.

Спектрометрія 90Sr

A spectroscopic method has been developed based on measuring of beta-spectra, which takes into account the physico-chemical state of the investigated objects and the instability of electronic systems in field conditions. This method allows for the investigation of the 90Sr and 137Cs concentration in various objects with a change in the 137Cs/90Sr ratio from 1 to 100 with an error of better than 20 %. A methodology has been developed that takes into account the change in the density of the inanimate objects and is based on shifting of the peak position of the conversion electrons from the 137Cs decay. The verification of the methodology compared to radiochemical measurements of 90Sr in soil samples showed complete agreement within 10 - 15 %, with a change of the activity in the samples by four orders of magnitude.

Natural radionuclide and &lt;sup&gt;137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs activity concentration in soils of the Brazilian State of Sergipe and their correlation with environmental characteristics

Radionuclides occur naturally in the environment, exposing living organisms to ionizing radiation. In addition, human activities have introduced artificial radionuclides such as 137Cs, among others, into the environment. To better understand the occurrence and behaviour of radionuclides in soil, several countries have developed radiological studies and constructed maps. An effort has been made in Brazil to assess the radioactivity in the soils of the country. In this study, the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides 40K, 226Ra and 228Ra, and artificial 137Cs were determined in samples at a depth of 20 cm collected from the soils of the Brazilian State of Sergipe, in a regular grid of 25 km x 25 km. Samples were analysed by gamma-ray spectrometry with the use of hyperpure germanium detectors. The results were correlated with the type of soil, geology, and climate characteristics of the State. The median activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra, and 228Ra were 210.4 Bq.kg-1, 12.33 Bq.kg-1, and 18.69 Bq.kg-1, respectively. The results are lower than those reported for soils from other Brazilian States in the same region. The activity concentration of 137Cs was lower than the minimum detectable activity. The activity concentration of 40K in young soils of the semi-arid region was higher than that found in most weathered soils of the rainy regions due to the very low pluviometry of the semi-arid area. Higher activity levels of 226Ra were found in Planosol and for 228Ra it was found in the weathered soils (Acrisol) of the coastal zone. Maps of the distribution of the studied radionuclides were designed. The median value of the outdoor absorbed dose rate in air (Dnat) calculated for the soils of the State of Sergipe is lower when compared with other Brazilian States and the UNSCEAR’s worldwide median value.

Distinct food-web transfers of 137Cs to fish in river and lake ecosystems: A case study focusing on masu salmon in the Fukushima evacuation zone

This study was conducted to elucidate the spatial and size variations, and food-web transfer of 137Cs in freshwater fish in the upper reaches of the Ukedo River system, a highly contaminated river system flowing through the Fukushima evacuation zone. Fish collection and environmental surveys were conducted in the summer of 2020 at five forest rivers and at the Ogaki Dam reservoir (an artificial lake) with different air dose rates (mean 0.20–3.32 μSv/h). From the river sites, two salmonid species (masu salmon and white-spotted charr) were sampled, with masu salmon generally exhibiting higher 137Cs concentrations, ranging widely (10.6 Bq/kg-wet to 13.0 kBq/kg-wet) depending on the fish size (size effect) and site. The 137Cs concentrations in masu salmon were explained by the air dose rates, 137Cs concentrations in water, sediments (excluding the lake site), and primary producers, with site-specific variations. In the rivers, masu salmon (fluvial type with parr marks) mainly fed on terrestrial insects with higher 137Cs concentrations compared with those of aquatic insects, indicating that 137Cs was transferred mainly to fish through the allochthonous forest food-web during summer. In the lake, masu salmon (lake-run type with larger size and silvery body coloration) mainly preyed on smaller fish with lower 137Cs concentrations, demonstrating that 137Cs is transferred to fish through the autochthonous lake food-web with biomagnification. Differences in 137Cs concentrations among masu salmon (mean 441 Bq/kg-wet) and other fish species (mean 74.8 Bq/kg-wet to 2.35 kBq/kg-wet) were also found in the lake. The distinct 137Cs transfers to river and lake fish were supported by stable isotope analysis: δ15N and δ13C values enriched stepwisely through the food-webs were, respectively, higher and lower in the lake. Our results obtained using multiple approaches clearly revealed the distinct food-web transfer of 137Cs in river and lake ecosystems. These findings can contribute to prediction of radioactive contamination in freshwater fish in the Fukushima evacuation zone.

Preparation, Evaluation, and Bioinformatics Study of Hyaluronic Acid-Modified Ginsenoside Rb1 Self-Assembled Nanoparticles for Treating Cardiovascular Diseases.

(1) Objective: To optimize the preparation process of hyaluronic acid-modified ginsenoside Rb1 self-assembled nanoparticles (HA@GRb1@CS NPs), characterize and evaluate them in vitro, and investigate the mechanism of action of HA@GRb1@CS NPs in treating cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. (2) Methods: The optimal preparation process was screened through Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken designs. Physical characterization of HA@GRb1@CS NPs was conducted using transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. Stability experiments, in vitro drug release studies, and lyophilisate selection were performed to evaluate the in vitro performance of HA@GRb1@CS NPs. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities of HA@GRb1@CS NPs were assessed using H9c2 and RAW264.7 cells. Additionally, bioinformatics tools were employed to explore the mechanism of action of HA@GRb1@CS NPs in the treatment of CVDs associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. (3) Results: The optimal preparation process for HA@GRb1@CS NPs was achieved with a CS concentration of 2 mg/mL, a TPP concentration of 2.3 mg/mL, and a CS to TPP mass concentration ratio of 1.5:1, resulting in a particle size of 126.4 nm, a zeta potential of 36.8 mV, and a PDI of 0.243. Characterization studies confirmed successful encapsulation of the drug within the carrier, indicating successful preparation of HA@GRb1@CS NPs. In vitro evaluations demonstrated that HA@GRb1@CS NPs exhibited sustained-release effects, leading to reduced MDA (Malondialdehyde) content and increased SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) content in oxidatively damaged H9c2 cells. Furthermore, it showed enhanced DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS+ [2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] free radical scavenging rates and inhibited the release of inflammatory factors NO (Nitric Oxide) and IL-6 (Interleukin-6) from RAW264.7 cells. (4) Conclusions: The HA@GRb1@CS NPs prepared in this study exhibit favorable properties with stable quality and significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities. The mechanisms underlying their therapeutic effects on CVDs may involve targeting STAT3, JUN, EGFR, CASP3, and other pathways regulating cell apoptosis, autophagy, anti-lipid, and arterial sclerosis signaling pathways.

Radioecological characteristics of Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus Pal., 1771) inhabiting locations of nuclear weapon tests.

This paper reports the activity concentrations of 137Cs, 90Sr, 239+240Pu, 241Am, and 3Н in the form of tritiated water (НТО) and organically bound tritium (ОBТ) in the tissues and organs of roe deer (Capreolus pygargus Pal., 1771) that inhabit the 'Degelen' test location of the Semipalatinsk Test Site. Tissues and organs were sampled from six deer by killing. The activity concentrations of specific radionuclides in the samples were measured using γ-, α-, and β-spectrometry. The radionuclide activity concentrations in the tissues and organs showed considerable variation, for example, 0.6-170 Bq kg-1 for 137Cs and 0.3-2.8×103 Bq kg-1 for 90Sr. The activity concentrations of radionuclides in animal muscular tissue did not exceed permissible values for the meat of wild animals. The tissues and organs in the roe deer were arranged as follows in descending order of their ability to accumulate 137Cs and 90Sr: for 137Cs, muscular tissue-kidneys-lungs-spleen-heart-liver-bone tissue; for 90Sr, bone tissue-liver-lungs-muscular tissue-spleen-heart-kidneys. The activity concentrations of 241Am and 239+240Pu did not exceed the minimum detectable activity. Therefore, no quantitative values could be determined for 241Am, and the 239+240Pu activity concentration could be derived for only one sample: 0.5±0.1 Bq kg-1 (liver). The distribution pattern of these radionuclides in the tissues and organs of the roe deer could not be determined because of insufficient data. The HTO volumetric activity in the tissues and organs of the examined animals ranged from 2.6×10-2 to 77 kBq l-1; activity concentration of OBT, 3.0×10-2 to 16 kBq kg-1; and OBT-to-HTO ratios, 2.0×10-3 to 5.3×102. This ratio can serve as an indicator of how long the examined animals stay in radioactively contaminated ecosystems. Within the 'Degelen' site, the activity concentrations of 90Sr and tritium, in the form of HTO and OBT, are expected to be high in the bone tissues, soft tissues, and organs, respectively.

Cesium accumulation and plant growth promotion characteristics of Paecilomyces lilacinus A10 isolated from Brassica juncea L. rhizosphere soil

The combined microbial-plant remediation has increasingly been used to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soil. Some microorganisms could enhance phytoremediation efficiency by solubilizing heavy metal and improve plant growth by producing phytohormones in the heavy metal contaminated soils. In the present study, a strong cesium (Cs)-tolerant fungal strain Paecilomyces lilacinus was identified from soil microorganisms contaminated with Cs, and the enrichment conditions for Cs were optimized. Furthermore, the effects of the A10 fermentation solution on the growth of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) seedlings were investigated. The results indicated that the optimal combination of factors consisted of a culture temperature of 28 °C, pH7.0, initial concentration of Cs at 5.91 g·L−1. The maximum enrichment of Cs in the A10 was up to 75.36 mg·g−1 DW. In addition, the enrichment of Cs in Indian mustard was significantly enhanced by the application of the A10 fermentation solution, and the growth of Indian mustard was promoted under Cs stress. The present study has expanded the repertoire of microbial resources available for facilitating the Cs contaminated soil, thereby enhancing its applicability in the phytoremediation strategies.