The latitudinal inventory of 137 Cs in vegetation and topsoil in northern Canada, 1980
The latitudinal distribution of fallout 137 Cs in Canada has been determined along a transect extending from 50° to 82° N in 1980. The 137 Cs content of lichens, bryophytes, and cushionlike vascular species was measured at 16 sites between Brandon, Manitoba, and Alert, Ellesmere Island. Lichen speci...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Botany |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | French |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
1985
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b85-100 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b85-100 |
| Summary: | The latitudinal distribution of fallout 137 Cs in Canada has been determined along a transect extending from 50° to 82° N in 1980. The 137 Cs content of lichens, bryophytes, and cushionlike vascular species was measured at 16 sites between Brandon, Manitoba, and Alert, Ellesmere Island. Lichen species were shown to be the most effective biological monitors of 137 Cs deposition because of their specific morphology, longevity, and slow growth rates. Dry, exposed ridges were the sites of the highest 137 Cs retention by plants. 137 Cs levels in vegetation followed a bell-shaped distribution along the transect and the maximum accumulation was measured in samples collected between 60° and 70° N (10 nCi m −2 at 63° N) (1 Ci = 37 GBq). This distribution is the combined result of the original latitudinal deposition of 137 Cs, the expired portion of its physical half-life, and the efficiency of biotic and abiotic removal processes along the studied corridor. It is suggested that the long-term implications of 137 Cs in the northern food chain ought to be followed and studied more closely in the light of the data presented. |
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