TRANSURANIC ELEMENTS AND STRONTIUM-90 IN SAMPLES FROM FORESTS IN POLAND

J. W. Mietelski

Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory, The Henryk Niewodnicznski Institute of Nuclear Physics, 152 Radzikowskiego Str., 31-342 Krakow, Poland


Enhanced levels of non-volatile nuclides: 141,144Ce, 95Zr, 95Nb, 103,106Ru, 238,239,241Pu, 241Am, 242,243,244Cm and 154,155Eu were observed in the samples from north-eastern Poland. This was considered to be a result of finding in sample a single „hot particle”. Investigations conducted in the Institute of Nuclear Physics allowed us to conclude that on this area a non typical isotopic composition of Chernobyl fallout was very common. The enhanced activities (up to 100% above the global fallout value) of 90Sr, 238,239,240Pu and 241Am were observed. The presence of 243,244Cm and 154,155Eu was confirmed. It seems that the quasi-continuous fallout of huge numbers of small "hot particles” occurred there from the high altitude radioactive cloud, which moved toward the Scandinavia on 26th of April, 1986.