The distribution of 137Cs and 90Sr in the biomass of pine trees planted in 1987–1988 in the near zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

This paper presents the results of a study, carried out in 1996, of the distributions of 137Cs and 90Sr in the biomass of a new pine plantation, planted in 1987–1988, in the near field of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The maximum observed concentrations were 4.2 MBq kg−1 for 137Cs in the youngest needles and 1.1 MBq kg−1 for 90Sr in the oldest needles. The estimation of the total absorbed doses in the different organs of the pine was also carried out, the observed doses were in the range 2 Gy yr−1 to 16.8 Gy yr−1; the lifetime dose for the needles (4 yr) was 44 Gy.