DETERMINING THE TRANSFER FACTORS FOR ESTIMATES OF THE RADIATION CONTAMINATION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS

The study aims to provide a basis for measures reducing the consequences of a nuclear accident in its late phase, when plant contamination occurs mainly through the root system. Samples of the above-ground biomass of crops and soil were taken in 2020 in the vicinity of the Temelin and Dukovany nuclear power plants (Czech Republic). The Cs-137 activities were determined using gamma spectrometry, and the Sr-90 activities were measured through beta radiation. From the obtained values, the radionuclide transfer factors (TFs) from soil to crop biomass were calculated. The average area activity of Cs-137 in the soil around Dukovany and Temelin was 1700 and 2400 Bq m(-2), respectively. The average area activity of Sr-90 around Dukovany and Temelin was 211 and 184 Bq m(-2), respectively. The TF Cs-137 ranged from < 6.3 x 10(-6) to 7.9 x 10(-3), with a mean of 3.5 x 10(-4) m(2) kg(-1), and the TF Sr-90 ranged from 2.7 x 10(-4) to 6 x 10(-2), with a mean of 1.7 x 10(-2) m(2) kg(-1).