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Assessment of 137Cs and 239,240Pu Distribution in Forest Soils of the Opole Anomaly

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Abstract

Distribution of 137Cs and 239,240Pu in the forest soils horizons of the Opole Anomaly was established. Gamma and alpha spectrometry was used for determination of these isotopes. It was found that the 137Cs activity was approx. 1,000 times higher than that of 239,240Pu. The highest activities of both radioisotopes were found close to the boundary region in soil profile where the organic horizon turns into the inorganic one. Cluster analysis did not clearly indicate the group’s existence in data in respect to 137Cs and 239,240Pu activities and organic matter content. Distributions of 137Cs and 239,240Pu in soil horizons were non-normal but similar to each other. These distributions were substantially different from that one for organic matter content. The data were separated into two groups, for organic and inorganic soil horizons, respectively. Data transformation using Box–Cox formula was performed following by standardization. Mutual relationships between variables were investigated using ordinary and robust regression methods. Good correlation between 137Cs and 239,240Pu was found. No significant relationship between organic matter content and radioisotopes activity was asserted.

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  1. Chair of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Opole University, ul. kard. B.Kominka 4, 45-032, Opole, Poland

    Zbigniew Ziembik, Agnieszka Dołhańczuk-Śródka & Maria Wacławek

  2. Department of Radiochemistry and Colloid Chemistry, Maria Curie Skłodowska University, pl. M. C. Skłodowskiej 3, 20-031, Lublin, Poland

    Andrzej Komosa & Jolanta Orzeł

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Ziembik, Z., Dołhańczuk-Śródka, A., Komosa, A. et al. Assessment of 137Cs and 239,240Pu Distribution in Forest Soils of the Opole Anomaly. Water Air Soil Pollut 206, 307–320 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-009-0107-8

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