INITIAL EVALUATIONS OF NATURAL (226Ra, 232Th AND 40K) AND ARTIFICIAL (137Cs) RADIO ISOTOPE ACTIVITIES IN ARZULAR-YITIRMEZ-DÖLEK (GÜMÜSHANE) MINERALIZATION/ALTERATION FIELDS

Within the scope of this study, the first evaluations of natural (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) and artificial (137Cs) radio isotope activities of the Arzular-Yitirmez-Dölek (Gümüşhane) mine/alteration site were carried out. Measurements were carried out with Poptop Ortec gamma rays detector on 22 soil samples collected from the field. When the natural 232Th, 226Ra and 40K activities of the area are compared with the weighted world averages, it has been determined that the 40K and 226Ra activities exceed the world averages in most of the sampling points, and the 232Th activities are below the weighted world average except for a few sampling points. It was observed that the artificial 137Cs activities in the field were above the detection limit and exceeded 2 Bq/kg except for a few sampling points. It has been evaluated that the high 137Cs activities in the field may be associated with a human-induced effect, especially the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Parameters such as radiological hazard indices, Ra equivalent activity value, absorbed dose rate and annual effective dose rate were also calculated for the field. Considering the results obtained from these parameters, it was concluded that it would be beneficial to study the Arzular-Yitirmez-Dölek mineralization/alteration field in more detail in terms of natural and artificial radioisotope activities.

Cow’s milk contamination with 137Cs depending on quality and supply of pasturage

The results of studies on transferring of 137Cs to cow’s milk during the grazing season on two pastures in Narodychi district, Zhytomyr region, which differ in 137Cs ground deposition and intensity accumulation of radionuclide by herbage. It has been proposed a specific methodical approach for interpreting the radiological consequences of the pastures use by grazing cows. This approach is that the contamination of cow’s milk should be linked to the quality and supply of pasture forage. Research has found that in most cases reducing the quality and supply of pasture grass the activity of 137Cs in milk decreases, although this fact is less obvious to hospitals with severe particle size and high 137Cs ground deposition. This can be explained by 137Cs of the soil origin on contamination of cow’s milk.