Accumulation of polonium ²¹⁰Po, uranium (²³⁴U and ²³⁸U) and plutonium (²³⁸Pu and ^239+240Pu) in tissues and organs of deer Carvidae from northern Poland

University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, Sobieskiego 18/19, 80-952 Gdańsk, POLAND

^a strumyk@chem.univ.gda.pl

Abstract

Livers, kidneys and muscles of large herbivorous animals: roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama), collected in northern Poland, were the subject of the investigation. Polonium, uranium and plutonium activities were measured using alpha spectrometry along with relevant radiochemical procedures. The average concentrations of ²¹⁰Po ranged between 0.02±0.01 Bq kg⁻¹ ww in muscles and 7.15±0.12 Bq kg⁻¹ ww in kidneys. The concentration of ²³⁸U ranged widely between 2.49±0.18 and 69.37±5.45 mBq kg⁻¹ ww. The average concentrations of ^239+240Pu ranged between 0.18±0.04 mBq kg⁻¹ ww in muscle and 2.77±0.60 mBq kg⁻¹ ww in kidneys. Statistical analysis showed that the sampling location, sex, age and species did not influence on the radioisotope activities in the analyzed samples.