Post-fire redistribution of 137Cs and algal communities in contaminated forest soils in Belarus
Dvornik, A. LU
; Shamal, N.
; Bachura, Y.
; Seglin, V.
; Korol, R.
; Kurilenko, R.
; Bardyukova, A.
and Kapyltsova, A.
(2021)
In Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
227.
p.1-9
- Abstract
This study was carried out in the forest area of the Gomel region of Belarus contaminated by 137Cs following the Chernobyl accident of 1986. The aim of the study was to explore the effects of different types of wildfires on the biological availability of radionuclides and the distribution of algal communities in fire-affected soils. Soil samples were collected in 2017 and 2018 from sites burnt by surface and crown fires, and from two unburnt reference locations. The soil samples were analyzed for radioactivity, agrochemical characteristics and the abundance of photoautotrophs. The proportions of various 137Cs fractions, according to our findings, differ between fire-affected and unburnt forest soils, and also... (More)
This study was carried out in the forest area of the Gomel region of Belarus contaminated by 137Cs following the Chernobyl accident of 1986. The aim of the study was to explore the effects of different types of wildfires on the biological availability of radionuclides and the distribution of algal communities in fire-affected soils. Soil samples were collected in 2017 and 2018 from sites burnt by surface and crown fires, and from two unburnt reference locations. The soil samples were analyzed for radioactivity, agrochemical characteristics and the abundance of photoautotrophs. The proportions of various 137Cs fractions, according to our findings, differ between fire-affected and unburnt forest soils, and also between the different types of wildfire. The forest soil affected by surface fire is characterized by an increased amount of easily exchangeable and mobile fractions. In the forest burnt by the crown fire, where the above ground vegetation was almost completely destroyed, the mobile fractions of 137Cs are easily washed out from the topsoil, allowing them to penetrate into deeper soil layers. Soil algae play an important ecological role in sustaining terrestrial ecosystems and are sensitive to various physicochemical properties of soil, such as pH level, nutrient content and moisture. Most of these physicochemical properties are known to stimulate the growth of algal cells, however no evidence has been found in this study regarding the relationship between 137Cs activities in soil and the algal species richness.
(Less)
- author
- Dvornik, A.
LU
; Shamal, N.
; Bachura, Y.
; Seglin, V.
; Korol, R.
; Kurilenko, R.
; Bardyukova, A.
and Kapyltsova, A.
- publishing date
- 2021-02
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- keywords
- Algal communities, Availability, Physicochemical properties, Radionuclides, Wildfires
- in
- Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
- volume
- 227
- article number
- 106505
- pages
- 1 - 9
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85097354125
- pmid:33296861
- ISSN
- 0265-931X
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106505
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
- id
- 3a5f3f1a-2998-446e-8df8-132e7b91536a
- date added to LUP
- 2025-01-30 10:29:57
- date last changed
- 2025-01-31 03:18:17
@article{3a5f3f1a-2998-446e-8df8-132e7b91536a,
abstract = {{<p>This study was carried out in the forest area of the Gomel region of Belarus contaminated by <sup>137</sup>Cs following the Chernobyl accident of 1986. The aim of the study was to explore the effects of different types of wildfires on the biological availability of radionuclides and the distribution of algal communities in fire-affected soils. Soil samples were collected in 2017 and 2018 from sites burnt by surface and crown fires, and from two unburnt reference locations. The soil samples were analyzed for radioactivity, agrochemical characteristics and the abundance of photoautotrophs. The proportions of various <sup>137</sup>Cs fractions, according to our findings, differ between fire-affected and unburnt forest soils, and also between the different types of wildfire. The forest soil affected by surface fire is characterized by an increased amount of easily exchangeable and mobile fractions. In the forest burnt by the crown fire, where the above ground vegetation was almost completely destroyed, the mobile fractions of <sup>137</sup>Cs are easily washed out from the topsoil, allowing them to penetrate into deeper soil layers. Soil algae play an important ecological role in sustaining terrestrial ecosystems and are sensitive to various physicochemical properties of soil, such as pH level, nutrient content and moisture. Most of these physicochemical properties are known to stimulate the growth of algal cells, however no evidence has been found in this study regarding the relationship between <sup>137</sup>Cs activities in soil and the algal species richness.</p>}},
author = {{Dvornik, A. and Shamal, N. and Bachura, Y. and Seglin, V. and Korol, R. and Kurilenko, R. and Bardyukova, A. and Kapyltsova, A.}},
issn = {{0265-931X}},
keywords = {{Algal communities; Availability; Physicochemical properties; Radionuclides; Wildfires}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{1--9}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Journal of Environmental Radioactivity}},
title = {{Post-fire redistribution of <sup>137</sup>Cs and algal communities in contaminated forest soils in Belarus}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106505}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106505}},
volume = {{227}},
year = {{2021}},
}