Characteristics of super(90)Sr, super(137)Cs and super(239, 240)Pu migration in undisturbed soils of southern Belarus after the Chernobyl accident

Soil samples were taken from three sites representing typical undisturbed soils in southern part of Belarus contaminated with Chernobyl fallout. The activity of super(90)Sr, super(137)Cs and super(239, 240)Pu in soil horizon 0-20 cm were measured. The data obtained were used to evaluate compartment model parameters of radionuclide migration in soil layers at different depths. According to the results, the parameters of migration obtained for various sites differ by more than a factor of two. The smallest site averaged values of parameters were obtained for super(239, 240)Pu and the largest for super(90)Sr. The calculations show that in most cases, the migration rates of super(90)Sr and super(137)Cs tend to increase with increasing depth.