Activity concentration of radionuclides of natural and anthropogenic-transformed soils in Rostov region

Topsoil is a filter that can absorb all wastes of production and anthropogenic activities. During the last 35 years, following several large industrial disasters and artificial radionuclides entering ecosystems, the ways of their migration and impact on living and biosphere systems are attracting close attention. As a result, the determination of both artificial and natural radionuclides in the soil seems relevant and is part of the radiation monitoring of the soil cover in Russia and the world. The purpose of the work was to carry out ecological monitoring of park-recreational, residential areas, as well as specially protected natural areas of the South of European Russia.

 

The maximum average value of activity for the artificial radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs was revealed in the soils of specially protected natural territories, there is a maximum variation of values. Significant variation of the obtained activity results relates to large sampling and wide geography of studied objects and proximity to the place of the Chernobyl accident (April 26, 1986). Specific activity of natural radionuclides is at the level of average values typical for the Rostov region, which are confirmed by the previously conducted data. The specific activity in recreational areas and specially protected natural territories is approximately at the same level and has a similar distribution pattern. The arithmetic average of specific activity of the studied radionuclides for the inhabited zones is:¹³⁷Cs - 13,5 ± 1,3 Bq/kg, ²²⁶Ra - 19,0 ± 1,1 Bq/kg, ²³²Th - 20,6 ± 0,8 Bq/kg, 334 ± 13,3 Bq/kg - ⁴⁰K; for recreational:15,8 ± 0,9  Bq/kg - 137Cs, ²²⁶Ra – 24,0 ± 0,4 Bq/kg, ²³²Th – 31,5 ± 0,4 Bq/kg, 436 ± 6 Bq/kg - ⁴⁰K and for specially protected natural areas: 25,6 ± 3,6 Bq/kg - ¹³⁷Cs, ²²⁶Ra – 23,8 ± 0,7 Bq/kg, ²³²Th – 26,4 ± 0,8 Bq/kg, 365,8 ± 13,1 Bq/kg - ⁴⁰K.

This study  was performed with financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation within the framework of the state task in the field of scientific activity (no. 0852-2020-0029)