The activity of selected gamma radionuclides in the Tatra National Park

AGH University of Science and Technology al. A. Mickiewicza, 30-059 Cracow, Poland

^* Corresponding author: bkubica@agh.edu.pl

Abstract

Cesium is naturally occurring active metal, represented by one stable isotope ¹³³Cs, and number of artificial, unstable, isotopes. The most common artificial isotope of cesium is ¹³⁷Cs, present in the environment of the Tatra Mountains due to nuclear weapon testing in late `50, and nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl in 1986. However in recent years the growth in biofuels use for power generation can be the next source of ¹³⁷Cs emission. Burning wood cultivated on grounds contaminated by ¹³⁷Cs can introduce secondary emission of this isotope to the atmosphere.This paper presents the results of determination of gamma emitting radionuclides artificial ¹³⁷Cs and natural ⁴⁰K in soil samples from the Tatra Mountains. Results show some differences in the vertical distribution of examined radionuclides. It was found that the change of activity of ¹³⁷Cs in the soil samples depends mostly on the soil density and on the concentration of organic material. The state of “zero” ¹³⁷Cs activity was developed in the form of maps.