The anthropogenic fallout radionuclides in soils of Mount Khuko (the Western Caucasus) and their application for determination of sediment redistribution

• Published in: Journal of environmental radioactivity 2022-07, Vol.248, p.106880-106880, Article 106880
• Main Authors: Ivanov, Maksim M., Kuzmenkova, Natalia V., Rozhkova, Alexandra K., Grabenko, Evgeniy A., Grachev, Alexei M., Golosov, Valentin N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 239,240Pu; Cesium-137; Chernobyl; Erosion; Lakes; Nuclear bomb testing; Radiation Monitoring - methods; Sedimentation; Soil - chemistry; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Water Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis
• ISSN: 0265-931X; 1879-1700
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106880

The purposes of this study are to determine the content and origin of anthropogenic fallout radionuclides (FRN) in soils of Mount Khuko, located in the western sector of the Caucasus Mountains and to assess the possibility to use them for evaluation of sediment redistribution for the alpine grasslands,. The field study was carried out in August 2019 near the top of Mount Khuko, located in the western part of the main Caucasus Mountain Ridge. Integral and incremental soil samples were collected from the different morphological units of the studied area. The content of 137Cs and 241Am in soil samples was evaluated using laboratory gamma-spectrometry. A part of samples was selected for Pu isotopes extraction and then alpha-spectrometric analysis. It was established that the 137Cs contamination of soils in the studied area has at least two sources of origin. The first source is the 137Cs bomb-derived fallout after the bomb tests in 1950–60th, which is widespread across the globe. The second source is 137Cs Chernobyl-derived fallout High random variability (Cv = 25–42%) was found within reference sites, located at the undisturbed areas on the local flat interfluves due to high variability of soil characteristics (grain size, density, organic matter content etc.). However minimum spatial variability (range 12,2–14,3 kBq/m2) was identified for the mean value of 137Cs inventories for all 5 reference sites located in the different parts of the studied area. It is difficult to separate individual peaks of the bomb-derived and Chernobyl-derived 137Cs falloutin sediment sinks with low sedimentation rates. Application 239,240Pu as an additional chronological marker allows to identify the origin of above mention peaks in the soils of alpine grasslands and of dry lake bottom. •Radioactive contamination with anthropogenic FRN of soils in the Western Caucasus has a heterogenous origin.•Variable deposition and lateral migration of 137Cs complicates interpretation of the vertical distribution.•239,240Pu is implemented as an additional chronomarker for evaluation of sedimentation rates.