Change of radionuclide bioavailability in conditions of swamping territories within the Chernobyl accident Exclusion Zone

¹ Department of Radioecology, Institute of Hydrobiology of the NAS of Ukraine, Geroyev Stalingrada Ave. 12, UA-04210 Kiev, Ukraine
² State Specialised Scientific and Production Enterprise “Ecocentre” of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Ukraine, Shkol'naya Str. 6, UA-07270 Chernobyl, Ukraine

Abstract

Presented studies were carried out during 1997–2007 within Krasnensky flood-lands on the left bank of the Pripyat River, which is the most contaminated region of the Chernobyl accident exclusion zone and where the complex of hydraulic engineering structures as flood protection dams was constructed, which preventing washing away of radioactive substances from soils and changing a hydrological mode of floodplain flows during a high water. In its turn it was by the reason of strengthening of over-moistening and swamping processes within embankment territories. As a result – on a background of the common tendencies of increase of the mobile forms of ⁹⁰Sr in soils of catchment territories and bottom sediments of the exclusion zone, there is an increase of humic acids concentrations in waterlogged soils of Krasnensky flood-lands. It is also raises the content of the water-soluble forms of ⁹⁰Sr forming with acids the soluble complexes. Thus the increase of concentrations of the mobile radionuclide forms and their inclusion into biotic circulation of aquatic ecosystems is observed. Such dynamics of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs contents is significantly reflected on dose rate for hydrobionts due to incorporated radionuclides.