Optically stimulated luminescence properties of commercially available KCL dietary supplements as retrospective dosimeters.

In the case of an unexpected exposure to radiation in places where there is no access to standard dosimeters, materials that can act as detectors in methods of retrospective dosimetry are looked for. Such materials include, but are not limited to, medicines and dietary supplements that are found in households or in personal bags. This article presents the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetric properties of dietary supplements, the main ingredient of which is a sensitive phosphor - potassium chloride (KCl).

Variations of plutonium isotopic ratios in Antarctic ecosystems.

The aim of the article was to verify the hypothesis concerning the diversification of plutonium sources in the natural environment of Antarctica. Plutonium activity and atom ratios were analyzed in two groups of biological samples: terrestrial and marine. Both isotopic ratios in the terrestrial set were consistent with global radioactive fallout ratios.

The sources of high airborne radioactivity in cryoconite holes from the Caucasus (Georgia).

Cryoconite granules are mixtures of mineral particles, organic substances and organisms on the surface of glaciers where they decrease the ice albedo and are responsible for formation of water-filled holes. The contaminants are effectively trapped in the cryoconite granules and stay there for many years. This study evaluates the contamination level of artificial and natural radionuclides in cryoconite holes from Adishi glacier (Georgia) and identifies the sources of contamination based on activity or mass ratios among artificial radionuclides.

Determination of element composition and extraterrestrial material occurrence in moss and lichen samples from King George Island (Antarctica) using reactor neutron activation analysis and SEM microscopy.

Seven lichens (Usnea antarctica and U. aurantiacoatra) and nine moss samples (Sanionia uncinata) collected in King George Island were analyzed using instrumental neutron activation analysis, and concentration of major and trace elements was calculated. For some elements, the concentrations observed in moss samples were higher than corresponding values reported from other sites in the Antarctica, but in the lichens, these were in the same range of concentrations.