Radionuclides of iron (55Fe), nickel (63Ni),polonium (210Po), uranium (234U, 235U, 238U) and plutonium (238Pu, 239+240Pu, 241Pu) in Poland and Baltic Sea environment

The paper presents the results of determination of natural [polonium (210Po), uranium (234U, 235U, 238U)] and artificial radionuclides [iron (55Fe), nickel (63Ni), and plutonium (238Pu, 239+240Pu, 241Pu)] in Poland and the southern Baltic Sea ecosystem as well as the recognition of their accumulation process in the trophic chain. All presented results is a summary of long lasting studies realized by the present authors. Results of this study indicated that the principal sources of 55Fe and 63Ni in the Baltic Sea environment is the release from Swedish nuclear power plants. Investigation on the polonium 210Po and plutonium 238Pu, 239+240Pu and 241Pu concentration in Baltic and land biota revealed that these radionuclides are strongly accumulated by some species. Moreover, it was found that fish, mushrooms, cigarettes constitutes important sources of 210Po for people. The Baltic Sea algae, benthic animals and fish concentrate uranium only to a small degree. In Baltic sediments, the concentration of uranium increases with core depth and it is connected with the diffusion of 234U, 235U and 238U from sediments. The values of 234U/238U activity ratio in the sediments indicated that the reduction process of U(VI) to U(IV) and the removing of autogenic uranium from seawater to sediments in the Gdańsk Deep constitutes a small part only.