Initiation of radioecological monitoring of forest soils and plants at the Lithuanian border region before the start of the Belarusian nuclear power plant operation.

Knowledge of the background activity concentrations of anthropogenic radionuclides before the start of operation of the new nuclear power plant in Belarus, BelNPP, is an issue of great importance for neighbouring countries. In this study, we provide the pilot characterisation of the Lithuanian part of the 30-km zone of the BelNPP, emphasising the forest plants, terrestrial mosses, forest organic and mineral topsoil to describe the preoperational radioecological state of the pine forest ecosystem. Key anthropogenic radionuclides (C, H, Cs and Pu) were analysed.