Assessment of radioisotope concentrations of 137cs and 90sr in the herbaceous phytocenoses plants of the Dnieper river floodplain ecosystems (northern Ukraine)

Abstract

The experimental data on the 137Cs and 90Sr concentation in the herbaceous phytocenoses of the Dnieper floodplain ecosystems in northern Ukraine have been discussed. Different radionuclide contents in plants and soils of different ecosystems of the floodplain depends on the herbaceous phytocenoses proximity to the river bed: a higher content of radiocaesium has been found in plants and soils of the meadow and marsh ecosystems, which are close to the river bed, and radiostrontium in the marsh and psamophyte ecosystems. Besides the intensity of radionuclide uptake by plants has been determined as by the soil and the cenotic habitat conditions so the biological characteristics of the species. The species specificity of the 137Cs and 90Sr accumulation by plants and the direct dependence of the soil-to-plant transfer factor from the density of the floodplain ecosystem contamination with radionuclides have been proved.