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Contents of Radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs) in Soils on Moraine Deposits in the European Russia Sampled in 1926–2017

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Abstract

The results of integrated studies of the contents of natural radionuclides (NRNs) 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K and technogenic 137Cs in soils on moraine deposits available from the Bioresource Collection at the Dokuchaev Central Soil Museum are reported. Soils were sampled before the commencement of nuclear tests, during intensive tests, and in recent years. The assayed soils belong to 11 reference soil groups according to the WRB system. Organic, humus (including formerly plow), humus-eluvial, eluvial, and subeluvial horizons and soil-forming rocks were analyzed. The NRNs contents in soil-forming rock amount to 13.4–36.0 Bq/kg (mean specific activity M = 22.2 Bq/kg and standard deviation σ = 7.4 Bq/kg) for 226Ra; 18.9–49.0 Bq/kg (M = 32.1 ± 10.4 Bq/kg) for 232Th; and 417–890 Bq/kg (M = 695 ± 151 Bq/kg) for 40K. In the organic horizons, NRNs are detectable only in the samples of 2004 and 2017 in the amounts of 7.0–43.0 Bq/kg 226Ra (M = 20.9 ± 14.4 Bq/kg), 10.0–21.2 Bq/kg 232Th (M = 14.0 ± 8.1), and 50–620 Bq/kg 40K (M = 291 ± 227 Bq/kg). Narrower ranges and lower mean content (except for 40K) in the humus and eluvial horizons are recorded in the former plow horizon (P) as compared with the AY horizon and in the EL horizon as compared with the AEL and BEL horizons. The NRN content correlates with the particle size fractions in a statistically significant manner. Technogenic 137Cs is detectable only in the recent soil samples. According to its content, the soils fall into two groups. The first group of soils (pits 261 and MLK-4, Lisino education and experimental forestry station) displays a relatively high 137Cs activity in the 0–5-cm layer and a penetration depth of 10 cm. The second group comprises the remaining soils. The cesium content there does not exceed 54 Bq/kg and penetration depth, 20 cm.

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Notes

  1. The Shapiro–Wilk test values were calculated using https:// www.statskingdom.com/shapiro-wilk-test-calculator.html.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author thanks Prof. B.F. Aparin and Prof. N.I. Sanzharova for their assistance in the work.

The study was performed at the Dokuchaev Central Soil Museum (Federal Research Center Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute) and the All-Russia Institute of Radiology and Agroecology (National Research Center Kurchatov Institute).

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This work was supported by ongoing institutional funding. No additional grants to carry out or direct this particular research were obtained.

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  1. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute, Pyzhevskii per. 7, 119017, Moscow, Russia

    E. V. Mingareeva

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This study was presented at the International Scientific Conference XXVI Dokuchaev Youth Readings Soil Science Matrix (http://www.dokuchaevskie.ru/).

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Mingareeva, E.V. Contents of Radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs) in Soils on Moraine Deposits in the European Russia Sampled in 1926–2017. Eurasian Soil Sc. 56 (Suppl 2), S147–S160 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S106422932360149X

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