Migration of 137Cs in the soil of sloping semi-natural ecosystems in Northern Greece

In the present study, the 137Cs concentration in the soil of sloping semi-natural ecosystems at four different regions of Western Macedonia in Greece was measured 10 years after the Chernobyl accident. These regions were highly polluted due to the deposition of radionuclides escaped during the accident. The concentrations of 137Cs measured were found to differ significantly among the four regions. The rates of both horizontal and vertical migration in the soil were also evaluated. The vertical migration velocity of 137Cs was found to range from 0.1 to 0.3 cm per year, in the most contaminated areas. Consequently, 10 years following the Chernobyl accident, the bulk of 137Cs deposited over the surface of the studied areas in Greece was found to be restricted in the upper 5 cm layer of soil. Regarding the horizontal migration, in most of the sampling sites, we did not detect any displacement or trend to movement of radiocaesium on the surface from the upper to the lower levels of the slopes. Instead, we recorded decreased concentrations of 137Cs with the decrease of altitude.