Pages: 100-103

Authors: Dragana POPOVIĆ, Dragana TODOROVIĆ, Jelena AJTIĆ, Jelena NIKOLIĆ

Abstract

To assess the validity of the moss bag monitoring technique in the radioactivity control of ground level urban air, a study on radionuclide contents in moss was performed in the city of Belgrade, Serbia. From May 2006 to May 2007, moss (Sphagnum girgensohni, Dubna, Russia) was exposed to the aero pollution in a location in the central area of the city. The activity of ⁴⁰K, ²¹⁰Pb, and ¹³⁷Cs was measured on an HPGe detector (Canberra, relative efficiency 23%) by standard gamma spectrometry. The activities 245 ± 25 Bq/kg for ⁴⁰K, 315 ± 34 Bq/kg for ²¹⁰Pb, and 28 ± 4 Bq/kg for ¹³⁷Cs are in the range of values reported for the region; the differences are due to the moss species, local climate and measuring technique. Taking into consideration the time of the exposure and appropriate calibration procedure, moss bag biomonitoring could be used as a complementary method for determination of radionuclides in urban air.

Key words: radionuclides, air, urban area, moss monitoring, gamma spectrometry

FULL PAPER IN PDF FORMAT (343 KB)