Elevated natural radioactivity in undisturbed forest and mountain areas of arctic Norway - local geology, soil characteristics, and transfer to biota.

J Environ Radioact

Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 6606 Langnes, 9296, Tromsø, Norway. Electronic address:

Published: October 2020

This study deals with the geology in areas close to a large unexploited uranium deposit and the impact of bedrock characteristics on levels of radionuclides and other elements in soil and biota. Factors influencing soil inventory and ecosystem transfer are discussed, focussing on U, Ra, and Pb. Field work was carried out in Salangen Valley in Northern Norway. Sampling stations for soil and biota covered different habitats - grassland, birch forest and low alpine heathland. The geological survey confirmed uranium-bearing minerals in granitic gneiss and pegmatites. There was large variation in the local occurrence of uranium, reflecting the irregular nature of the pegmatite. Activity concentrations of U, Ra, and Pb in surface soil were elevated at sites close to U-enhanced bedrock, compared to sites with other types of bedrock. Particularly high soil levels were found for Ra and Pb, whereas activity concentrations of U were more variable, depending of local soil characteristics. Levels of other natural radionuclides (K, Th) merely increased with soil mineral content, and concentrations of heavy metals were generally low at all sites. External dose rate (1 m above ground surface) was closely correlated with Ra levels in soil. Plant levels of U and Ra varied by several orders of magnitude depending on soil level and plant species, whereas plant levels of Pb and Po were largely affected by aerial fallout. Berries generally contained lower levels of U and Ra than green plant parts. As was the case for plants, the levels of U in earthworms were strongly correlated with the respective concentrations in the soil. Soil-to-plant transfer was markedly higher for Ra than for U. For both radionuclides, a positive correlation was found between concentration ratios of V. myrtillus (heath) and soil organic matter content. The U concentration ratios for earthworms were generally two orders of magnitude higher than for plants.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106291DOI Listing

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