Radionuclides and heavy metals in Borovac, Southern Serbia

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2008-09, Vol.15 (6), p.509-520
• Main Authors: Popovic, Dragana, Todorovic, Dragana, Frontasyeva, Marina, Ajtic, Jelena, Tasic, Mirjana, Rajsic, Slavica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activation analysis; Ammunition; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic Pollution; AREA 6 • ENVIRON ANALYSES; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Beryllium; Cesium radioisotopes; Contamination; Depleted uranium; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - chemistry; Feeds; Food contamination & poisoning; Grasses; Health risk assessment; Health risks; HEALTH • Research Article; Heavy metal content; Heavy metals; Honey; Honey - analysis; Industrial plants; Isotopes; Laboratories; Leaves; Lichens; Metal concentrations; Metals; Metals, Heavy - chemistry; Military; MONITORING; Mosses; Neutron activation analysis; Neutrons; Physics; Plants - chemistry; Pollution; Pollution sources; Power; Power plants; Radioisotopes; Radioisotopes - chemistry; Radium isotopes; Radium radioisotopes; Risk assessment; Sampling; Scientific imaging; Soil - analysis; Soil characteristics; Soil contaminants; Soil pollution; Soils; Spectrometry; Studies; Uranium; Waste Water Technology; Water - chemistry; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Yugoslavia
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-008-0003-6

Background, aim, and scope The paper presents the complex approach to the assessment of the state of the environment in Southern Serbia, surroundings of Bujanovac, the region which is of great concern as being exposed to contamination by depleted uranium (DU) ammunition during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) attacks in 1999. It includes studies on concentrations of radionuclides and heavy metals in different environmental samples 5 years after the military actions. Materials and methods In October 2004, samples of soil, grass, lichen, moss, honey, and water were collected at two sites, in the immediate vicinity of the targeted area and 5 km away from it. Radionuclide ( 7 Be, 40 K, 137 Cs, 210 Pb, 226 Ra, 232 Th, 235 U, 238 U) activities in solid samples were determined by standard gamma spectrometry and total alpha and beta activity in water was determined by proportional alpha–beta counting. Concentrations of 35 elements were determined in the samples of soil, moss, grass, and lichen by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Results The results are discussed in the context of a possible contamination by DU that reached the environment during the attacks as well as in the context of an environmental pollution by radionuclides and heavy metals in Southern Serbia. The results are compared to the state of environment in the region and other parts of the country both prior to and following the attacks. Discussion This is the first comprehensive study of the contents of radionuclides and heavy metals in Southern Serbia and consequently highly important for the assessment of the state of environment in this part of the country concerning possible effects of DU ammunition on the environment, as well as anthropogenic source of pollution by radionuclides and heavy metals and other elements. Also, the highly sensitive method of INAA was used for the first time to analyze the environmental samples from this area. Conclusions The results of the study of radionuclides in the samples of soils, leaves, grass, moss, lichen, honey, and water in Southern Serbia (Bujanovac) gave no evidence of the DU contamination of the environment 5 years after the military actions in 1999. Activities of radionuclides in soils were within the range of the values obtained in the other parts of the country and within the global average. The ratio of uranium isotopes confirmed the natural origin of uranium. In general, concentrations of heavy metals in the samples of s