90Sr and 137Cs distribution in Chornobyl forests: 30 years after the nuclear accident

The primary aim of this study was to quantify patterns in the distribution of 90Sr and 137Cs activity in pine (Pinus sylvestris L.: 18 sites) and birch (Betula pendula Roth.: 2 sites) forests within the Chornobyl exclusion zone, 30 years after the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) accident (1986). To achieve this, radionuclide activity concentrations were measured in the mineral and organic soil horizons, the green forest floor (grasses, mosses, and lichens), and trunk wood in forest plots dominated by either pine or birch trees.Our results showed that the geometric mean of the 90Sr aggregated transfer factors from mineral soil to the trunk wood of pine trees (Tag) for Scots pines was 24 x 10−3 m2 kg−1, which is an order of magnitude higher than the IAEA Handbook (2010)reference value (1.7 x 10−3 m2 kg−1), which were based on studies conducted after the Kyshtym accident (Ural region, Russia) and in the first years following the Chornobyl accident (Ukraine and Belarus). The observations suggest that the above-ground biomass (soil organic layers, green forest floor, and trees) may contribute more to the 90Sr inventory than the mineral soil at the stand level. In contrast, the 137Cs Tag values for pine and birch stands were consistent with those reported in the literature (ranging from 0.1 to 10 and 0.5-1.1 x 10−3 m2 kg−1, respectively). Both results align with the known bioavailability of radionuclides from previous studies: low for 137Cs, leading to limited soil depth migration (less than 30 cm in the mineral horizon), and higher for 90Sr, resulting in greater soil migration (up to 1 m in the mineral horizon). This study highlighted significant correlations between the radionuclides' activity concentrations in the litter layers and their content in the trunk wood of pine trees. •Study of 137Cs and 90Sr late-stage distributions in Chornobyl forests.•High mobility and bioavailability of 90Sr have been confirmed.•Most of the 137Cs activity in studied forests is found in the 10 cm topsoil layer.•Significant amounts of 90Sr migrated in soil to up to 1 m depth.•Biomass accumulated up to 50% of total 90Sr activity in the studied ecosystems.