Radioecological investigation in the environment of Belgrade city, Serbia

Abstract

Activity concentrations of 40K, 238U, 232Th and 137Cs in the samples of cultivated and uncultivated soil, mosses, mushrooms and game meat (wild rabbit, pheasant and wild boar) are measured by the gamma spectrometry technique. The samples were collected in suburban areas of Belgrade, Serbia, in the period from 2008–2014. The mean activity concentrations of 40K, 238U and 232Th in cultivated soil аre 637 Bqkg-1, 52 Bqkg-1 and 53 Bqkg-1, and in uncultivated soil 608 Bqkg-1, 58 Bqkg-1 and 55 Bqkg-1, respectively. An artificial radionuclide 137Cs is detected in the samples of soil, mosses and mushrooms, which indicates that almost 30 years after the nuclear accident in Chernobyl, 137Cs is still present in the environment. Since the activity concentrations of primordial radionuclides and 137Cs in game meat are below detection limit, these samples can be classified as safe for consumption.