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Proceeding Paper

Occurrence of 137Cs in Soil and Agricultural and Forest Products of the Contaminated Northeastern Part of the Czech Republic †

by
Petra Liszoková
1,*,
Jan Škrkal
2,
Barbara Stalmachová
1,
Věra Záhorová
2 and
Helena Pilátová
2
1
Faculty of Mining and Geology, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. Listopadu 2172/15, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
2
National Radiation Protection Institute (SÚRO, v. v. i.), Bartoškova 28, 140 00 Prague, Czech Republic
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 4th International Conference on Advances in Environmental Engineering, Ostrava, Czech Republic, 20–22 November 2023.
Eng. Proc. 2023, 57(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2023057011
Published: 30 November 2023
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 4th International Conference on Advances in Environmental Engineering)
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Abstract

:
In the more contaminated northeastern region of the Czech Republic (Moravian-Silesian Region) in 2018 and 2019, soil samples and selected agricultural and forestry products were collected. The contamination of the environment was caused by radioactive cesium 137Cs from the nuclear Chernobyl disaster, and the activity concentration of 137Cs was determined in all soil samples taken, ranging from 0.177 Bq kg−1 dry matter (dm) to up to 299 Bq kg−1 dm, with an arithmetic mean of 38.4 Bq kg−1 dm. The activity concentrations of 137Cs of agricultural and forestry products ranged from <0.02 Bq kg−1 to 1390 Bq kg−1 dm, and the transfer factors calculated based on these varied from 0.011 to 31 with an arithmetic mean of 3.4, with the highest values found in forest ecosystem products. The transfer factors and annual committed effective dose was calculated. It was statistically proven that the level of soil contamination with 137Cs is related to the altitude and intensity of the precipitation in April and May of 1986, after the Chernobyl NPP accident.

1. Introduction

Although 37 years have passed since the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP), its legacy is still relevant, both for the continuous monitoring of the consequences and the preparedness for a possible similar situation, the risk of which has now significantly increased with the ongoing war and threat to the Ukrainian NPPs.
The Czech Republic (CR) belongs to the countries that were more significantly affected by the accident in Chernobyl. The Czech Republic (CR) is one of the countries that were more substantially affected by the Chernobyl accident. The mean value of the Chernobyl ground deposition of 137Cs in the Czech Republic was 5 kBq m−2, but, individually, the area exceeded 100 kBq m−2 [1,2,3]. The content of 137Cs in soil immediately after an accident depends on local fallout conditions, e.g., the amount of precipitation, the prevailing direction of atmospheric flow, and the properties and ways of land use [4,5]. The impact of precipitation caused the passage of contaminated air masses across the Czech Republic from the northeast to southwest to release a large amount of 137Cs in the areas of South Bohemia (southwest of the Czech Republic) and northern Moravia (northwest of the Czech Republic). This results in locally higher ground deposition levels, especially in some components of natural ecosystems.
As a result of the higher content of 137Cs, there is a problematic situation with wild boars in the affected areas, where in the past period, animals significantly exceeding the limit values for meat consumption were captured; for example, a sample of wild boar with an activity of 4.9 kBq kg−1 was measured in the Olomouc region [6].
The transfer of Chernobyl cesium into plants depends not only on the content of 137Cs in the root layer of the soil [7], but also on the nature of the radionuclide interaction with the soil and with the plants into which cesium passes through the soil solution. Also important are the chemical form of 137Cs, the type of soil [8,9], the physico-chemical and biological properties of the soil [10], and the location of the soil (hill, hillside, slope, valley) [11]. In addition, 137Cs is significantly better bound in organic soil matter with a higher mineral content, as when it is in soils with a high organic content, Cs is mobilized in soil solution [12,13]. It was calculated that there was an approximately tenfold increase in the transfer of Cs to plants when the organic matter content increased from 5 to 50% [14]. Clay minerals effectively reduce the migration of Cs in the soil [15], resulting in a lower uptake by plants [10]. It was stated that Cs is highly absorbed by clay particles and organic matter and is virtually non-exchangeable for other ions [16,17,18].
Cesium transfer can also be influenced by the type of plant and specific plant variety [19], as well as by the density of sowing [20]. The transfer of Cs is also influenced by other factors such as plant structure, metabolism, habitat and plant nutrition, climate, weather, and, last but not least, the character and form of agricultural activity [21], or even the activity of animals [22].
To evaluate the risk of the radionuclide transfer of radionuclide from soil to living organisms, a parameter called the transfer factor (TF) is used, which expresses the ratio of radionuclide activity concentration in the target matrix to activity concentration in the soil. Transfer factors (TF) expressing the degree of the radionuclide transfer of radionuclide from the soil to plant are normally at the level of 0.001 to 1 for agricultural crops, with values higher than 1 being achieved by plants on sandy and organic soils [22,23].
In order to evaluate the level of contamination in the North Moravian region, we carried out a survey of agricultural and intact soils, from which soil samples were taken and the content of 137Cs was analyzed. Agricultural, wild plants, and mushrooms were also sampled at selected locations, where, in addition to the activity concentration of 137Cs, the TF was also determined.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Sampling

The sampling of soils, agricultural and forest products, and permanent grass cover took place in the summer months of 2018 and 2019 under clear weather in the northeastern part of the Czech Republic. The samples were collected in the number of 1 to 3 samples on an area of about 100 m2 at 73 sites, as shown in Figure 1, using a shovel and a spade from an area of 20 cm × 20 cm to a depth of about 20 cm. The total number of soil samples was 176. Sampling was carried out on an area of 4.328 km2. The altitudes of the individual sites ranged from 199 m to 827 m above sea level, with an average of 372 m above sea level. The native weight of each sample was weighed immediately after collection. The average native weight of all samples was around 14.5 kg, depending on the water content in the sample. Subsequently, the sample was thoroughly mixed, dried at a room temperature range of 19 °C to 20 °C for 14 days, reweighed, mixed, and crushed. Then, each soil sample was sieved through a 3 mm mesh pedological sieve and reweighed. After sieving, the soil was weighed again. A representative portion with an average weight of approx. 380 g was taken from each sample prepared in this way to measure activity concentration. For all soil samples, cadastral classification was also determined. The altitude and geographical coordinates were determined using the map background of the altimetry analysis. The cadastral classification of soils was determined through the State Administration of Land Surveying and Cadastre, an online cadastral map [24].
Forest and agricultural products were collected during the harvest period (September–October). Using a knife and a small shovel, the following items were sampled: cereals (Triticum), legumes (Glycine max), root crops (Beta vulgaris, Solanum tuberosum, Apium graveolens), annual fodder crops (Zea mays), oilseeds (Brassica napus, Papaver somniferum), grasses (Festuca pratensis), vegetables and root plants (Brassica oleracea var. Capitata, Armoracia rusticana), fruit (Maleventum), angiosperms (Rosa canina, Sorbus aucuparia), gymnosperms (Pinus sylvestris), fungi (Lactarius lignyotus, Leccinum holopus, Neoboletus luridiformis, Amanita rubescens) and spore-bearing plants (Bryopsida). In most cases, the sample consisted separately of the plant part intended for consumption and the rest of the plant body. In other cases, the plant part and the plant body were measured together within one sample. The samples of forest and agricultural products were first dried at room temperature and then in a biomass dryer at 52 °C with a drying time of 720 min. The collected forest and agricultural products were ground into pieces of max. 10 cm in length using a knife and cleaver. For the remaining biomass samples, only fruits, the plant parts of spore plants, and grasses were taken and measured.

2.2. Measurement of 137Cs Activity

The 137Cs activity in all dried samples (see Section 2.1) was measured at the National Radiation Protection Institute (SÚRO, v. v. i., Czech Republic) by semiconductor gamma spectrometry on HPGe detectors with efficiencies of 10–150%. The measurement time was chosen to achieve the uncertainty of 137Cs determination lower than 10%, but no more than 1 week; if the activity was below the detection threshold, a minimum significant activity (MSA) was determined [25]. Both plant and soil samples were measured in 200 mL cylindrical plastic vessels and 500 mL Marinelli beakers on the detector. In the case of a larger sample, the cylindrical containers were around the detector. The energy and efficiency calibrations were completed using gel standards. Since the density of the vegetable and soil samples mostly varied from gel density, a correction for self-absorption had to be made. The measurement method is accredited. The residual moisture and dry matter were determined in a small portion of each sample at 105 °C. The 137Cs activity in all measured samples are related to the sampling date and recalculated for dry matter.

2.3. Data Processing

The maps were created in the QGIS [26] and SAGA GIS [27] programs. The vector polygon layers of the administrative division of the Czech Republic come from the Register of Territorial Identification, Addresses and Real Estate (RÚIAN) (Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre—ČÚZK) [24]. The point data were transferred to the surface map by the Multilevel B-Spline interpolation method in the SAGA GIS program [27].
The transfer factors (TF) were calculated as the ratio of the activity concentration of 137Cs in the dry matter of agricultural and forestry products to the activity concentration of 137Cs in the dry matter of the soil. The IAEA (2010) [28] refers to TF as a concentration ratio.
Using the Excel office program, statistical characteristics were determined: simple arithmetic and geometric means (AM, GM), arithmetic and geometric standard deviations (SD, GSD), the minimum and maximum for soil activity concentration, and transfer factors, which were further divided into groups. Only data with a specified activity of 137Cs higher than MSA were included in the calculation.

3. 137Cs Activity Concentration in Soils

A total of 176 soil samples were taken from 73 localities and 6 districts: Bruntál, Opava, Nový Jičín, Ostrava, Karviná and Frýdek-Místek. Table 1 shows the statistical characteristics of 137Cs activity concentration in all soil samples and in the groups of soils divided by cadastral classification.
Overall, the activity concentration of 137Cs lay in a wide three-order range, with the lowest activity concentration being 0.177 Bq kg−1 dry matter (dm) measured in the forest soil of the locality Studénka nad Odrou, and the highest 137Cs activity being 299 Bq kg−1 dm, which was measured in the forest soil of the Spálov site. The overall arithmetic mean was equal to 38.4 Bq kg−1 dm. The results of the calculations for cadastral classification show that the highest mean activity concentration value of 137Cs was, as expected, in the forest land system (AM 84.4 Bq kg−1 dm). The mean activity concentration of 137Cs was about 4 times higher in forest soils than in permanent grasslands and arable and other soils. The arithmetic means for permanent grassland (21.2 Bq kg−1 dm), arable land (18.1 Bq kg−1 dm), and other land (19.2 Bq kg−1 dm) are very close, with the arable and other lands corresponding to systems disrupted by human activity.
Since no area activity was determined for the removed soils, to compare with the total soil deposition density of 137Cs in CR, we calculated the mean area activity of APP from the arithmetic mean of the activity concentration of AP, the mean density of soils in the Czech Republic, and the depth of sampling. The results are presented in Table 1. The arithmetic mean of 5 kBq m−2 [1] in the post-Chernobyl soil survey was obtained in the CR mainly on unshaded and untouched soils, so this value corresponds most closely to permanent grasslands with APP 6.19 kBq m−2. Given that 32 years have passed since 1986 to 2018, the decrease in 137Cs should be, due to physical transformation, at least 50%. In terms of other environmental factors, the mean activity in the CR should now be 2.5 kBq m−2 or lower. The level of soil contamination in the region we monitored was therefore about 2.5 times higher than in relation to the whole Czech Republic.
The higher value of 137Cs cannot be attributed to the nuclear accident in Fukushima, which affected the CR only minimally. Nor can it be attributed to the global fallout from nuclear weapons tests from 1945 to 1963 [29], which was approximately 5 kBq m−2 relatively homogeneously dispersed at our latitudes (40–50° N and 50–60° N) (calculated from UNSCEAR [30]). Figure 1 shows a map of sampling points covering six districts. Activity concentrations were put on a map [Figure 2]. In the largest part of the territory, the activities were less than 40 Bq kg−1 dm. The areas of higher contamination are in the Opava region and in the northwest of the Bruntál region, with activity concentrations exceeding 160 Bq kg−1 dm, which corresponds to a surface contamination of 46 kBq m−2 and higher. A place with higher activity was also found in the east of the Frýdek-Místek region.
The higher contamination of the Opava and Bruntál regions corresponds approximately to the map of Chernobyl contamination [2], on which the surface activity locally reached 20–40 kBq m−2 in these regions.
On the map [2], the region of Ostrava is also more contaminated, locally and with activity reaching the interval of 40–100 kBq m−2. The differences must be attributed to the insufficient sampling density, not only ours but also the Chernobyl one (776 samples for the entire CR), as well as the inaccuracy associated with interpolation.
Due to the higher activity of 137Cs in heavily sloping soils, all values were put into a graph depending on altitude. Figure 3 shows a statistically confirmed upward trend fitted with a linear slope (p < 0.000).
The fact that areas with higher altitudes were more contaminated is probably related to the higher frequency of precipitation in these areas in April and May 1986. The altitudes were divided into groups according to altitudes of 100–199 m above sea level (ASL), 200–299 m ASL, 300–399 m ASL, 400–499 m ASL, 500–599 m ASL, 600–699 m ASL, 700–799 m ASL, and 800–899 m ASL. For each interval, the arithmetic mean of the precipitation totals in April and May of 1986 was calculated, and related to half of the relevant altitude interval. The result was a statistically confirmed upward trend (p < 0.000).
The dependence of 137Cs activity on the precipitation totals was also tested. In the vicinity of the soil sampling points, there are 39 weather stations, with available precipitation totals for April and May 1986 [31]. To calculate the values of the precipitation totals, the precipitation for the months of April and May in 1986 was averaged, and the nearest weather station to each sampling location was assigned to construct graphs of the dependence of 137Cs activities in the soil at the altitude of the sampling point. The upward trend for areas with higher precipitation totals has been statistically confirmed (p < 0.045).

4. Results of Measurements of Agricultural and Forestry Products

A total of 28 biomass samples were measured. Three plant species were divided into two specimens: the part intended for consumption and the rest of the plant body. One sample contained two types of mushrooms mixed together. In 7 samples of agricultural products and plants of permanent grassland (sugar beet root, wheat grains, potato tubers from two sites, rose hip, soybean, and horseradish), it was not possible to measure the activity of 137Cs, and therefore MSA (designation “<”) was determined. The lowest activity concentration of 137Cs < 0.02 Bq kg−1 dm was detected in a sample of sugar beet root; the highest 137Cs activity 1390 Bq kg−1 dm was measured in a mixture of blacksmith’s boletus and rosacea toadstool. The arithmetic mean of the activities of 137Cs in plant samples was 89.4 Bq kg−1 dm. The arithmetic mean in the mushroom samples was 821.5 Bq kg−1 dm.

5. Transfer to Agricultural and Forestry Products

A total of 23 biomass-soil pairs were available for the calculation of transfer factors. In Table 2 and Table 3, the TFs are sorted by cadastral division. Most biomass samples (14) were taken from arable lands, 2 from permanent grasslands, and 7 from forests.
On arable lands, the mean value of TF was equal to 0.12. The TF range agrees with the typical range of 0.001 to 1 for agricultural crops [23]. The determined values of TF [Table 2] are generally approximately at the level of the mean values presented in [30]. Higher values were found in wheat stalks (0.69), poppy seeds (0.11), and rapeseed stalks (0.1), while low values were found in sugar beet root (<0.0046) and fescue (0.012).
The transfer factor for rapeseed of 0.10 came out approximately the same as the arithmetic mean of the transfer factors for the same plant of 0.13 [32]. The transfer to fruit trees is an order of magnitude lower, and the value (0.011) of the fruit of the apple tree is about twice as high as the mean value (0.0058) [31].
Tyson et al., 1999 [33], showed that 134Cs is unevenly distributed in plants. Its higher concentration was found in young shoots and growth tissues. Radionuclides often transfer in higher concentrations to stems and leaves than to the generative parts of plants [31]. There are also differences in the values of TF found in our results.
The influence of the change in soil composition on the transfer is evident when comparing arable soils with forest soils, which are often characterized by a thick layer of overlying humus. While the total AM transfer factors for all samples were equal to 3.4, the TF for forest land was very high (AM 8.2), and the TF in arable land samples was an order of magnitude lower (AM 0.12). Also, the maximum-to-minimum ratio is higher for forest lands, 4.5 times higher compared to arable lands. The transfer to plants mainly reduces the content of clay minerals, and vice versa, it increases the amount of organic matter. In highly organic and peaty soils, cesium is weakly adsorbed on organic surfaces and can be easily desorbed into soil solution [12,13,34]. In addition, in forest soil, TF increases at a lower pH. A higher transfer to blueberries that prefer acidic soils is known. IAEA [35] described a trend in barley and cabbage towards a decrease in TF 137Cs with an increasing pH. TF increases in the transfer of Cs from humus to spruce bark with a decrease in pH (H2O) and pH (KCl) [36].
The lowest values of TF in forest soils were within the range of 0.11–2. Interestingly, the TF in pine cones was really high (31); it was even higher than the TF in mushrooms (5.3; 18), to which 137Cs usually accumulate highly. This may be due to the longer reach of the pine roots and, accordingly, their ability to draw nutrients from a more distant place with higher soil activity.

6. Committed Effective Dose

As mentioned in the introduction, the monitored region was one of the most contaminated in the Czech Republic by the post-Chernobyl fallout. To evaluate the exposure risk, from the observed concentration activities, we can approximately estimate the committed effective dose of adults from plant agricultural products and compare it with the mean value of the dose for the whole Czech Republic. In 2015, the geometric mean of the total annual intake of 137Cs of food was 110 Bq, which, when multiplied by a conversion coefficient of 0.013 μSv/Bq, corresponds to an effective dose of 1.4 μSv [36]. Plant agricultural products (vegetables, fruits, cereals, and potatoes) accounted for 4.6% and mushrooms for 76% of the total intake of 137Cs. Thus, the corresponding mean effective dose in 2015 was 0.065 μSv for plant agricultural products and 1.1 μSv for fungi. The effective dose of agricultural crops was calculated from the activity concentrations above the MSA of white cabbage, sugar beet, apple, poppy, beetroot leaves, wheat stalks, leguminous soybean, and oilseed rape for our samples. The geometric mean of 137Cs activity on a fresh basis is equal to 0.37 Bq/kg for our samples grown on agricultural soils. Using the annual consumption of fresh plant agricultural products in the Czech Republic of 181 kg, the annual mean effective dose of adults is 0.9 μSv. For our two mushroom samples, with a mean annual consumption of 2.8 kg and a mean fresh activity concentration of 62.3 Bq/kg, the effective dose is 2.3 μSv.
It can therefore be seen that the mean committed effective dose from 137Cs from plant agricultural products for our area of interest is significantly higher, about 14 times the national mean. The effective dose from mushrooms is approximately twice as high. Of course, there is a time gap, and nationwide doses will be slightly lower today, but due to the currently very slow decrease in the activity of post-Chernobyl 137Cs in agricultural ecosystems, the difference between the doses in 2015 and 2018–2019 is only slight. The observed higher values of the effective dose for agricultural products in our region are consistent with the higher soil contamination discussed above, although the ratio of the effective dose of our region to the rest of the Czech Republic is higher, which may be due to the relatively small number of samples and the associated lack of representativeness.

7. Conclusions

The research analyzed 176 soil samples from six districts in the northeast of the Czech Republic: Bruntál, Opava, Nový Jičín, Ostrava, Karviná, and Frýdek-Místek. For 137Cs activity concentration, 28 biomass samples were also measured.
The average activity concentration of 137Cs in the soil was 38.4 Bq kg−1, while the highest value was found in the soils of forest ecosystems and the lowest in arable soils. The average activity in grass soils was 21.2 Bq kg−1, which corresponds to a surface activity value of 6.19 kBq m−2, which is at least 2.5 times higher than the surface activity of soil in the Czech Republic. The connection between the increase in the activity concentration of the soil with the increasing height above sea level and the intensity of precipitation totals confirms that mountain areas with lower agricultural production are the most contaminated.
The activity concentrations of 137Cs in agricultural and forest products ranged from <0.021 Bq kg−1 to 1392 Bq kg−1 dry matter, which corresponded to the value of the transfer factor <0.0046 to 31, with the highest transfer to products of the forest ecosystem. Transfer factors were influenced by the plant type, part, and soil composition. The calculated annual effective dose from agricultural products was 0.9 μSv, i.e., approx. 14 times higher than the average for the Czech Republic, which agrees with the higher contamination of the northeast of the Czech Republic.
The results of our experiments therefore confirmed a higher occurrence of 137Cs both in the soil and in plant products. Considering that the detected value is not representative due to the limited number of analyzed samples, it is necessary to further investigate similar areas not only in the Czech Republic, but also elsewhere in the world, and thus protect against the consumption of both contaminated agricultural products and products of forest ecosystems.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, P.L. and J.Š.; methodology, J.Š.; software, H.P.; validation, P.L. and B.S.; formal analysis, P.L.; investigation, V.Z.; resources, B.S.; data curation, H.P.; writing—original draft preparation, P.L. and H.P.; writing—review and editing, P.L. and J.Š.; visualization, V.Z.; supervision, V.Z. and J.Š.; funding acquisition, B.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, grant number SGS SP 2018/18, and also by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic project number MV VI20192022153—Optimization of procedures for the implementation of crop production in the area affected by a nuclear accident.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data are contained within the article.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Engproc 57 00011 g001
Figure 1. Map of soil sampling locations.
Figure 1. Map of soil sampling locations.
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Figure 2. Map of 137Cs activity concentration in soil.
Figure 2. Map of 137Cs activity concentration in soil.
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Figure 3. Dependence of 137Cs activity concentration in all soils on the altitude.
Figure 3. Dependence of 137Cs activity concentration in all soils on the altitude.
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Table 1. Statistical characteristics of 137Cs activities in soils divided by cadastral classification.
Table 1. Statistical characteristics of 137Cs activities in soils divided by cadastral classification.
AllpgArable LandOther LandForest
Number of samples17629524253
AM [Bq kg−1 dm]38.421.218.119.284.4
SD [Bq kg−1 dm]57211219.4184
AMP [Bq m−2]11,21361905285519824,645
GM [Bq kg−1 dm]16.814.513.311.037.8
GSD3.972.442.523.185.61
GM/AM ratio0.440.690.740.570.45
minimum [Bq kg−1 dm]0.1772.500.4380.520.177
maximum [Bq kg−1 dm]29910652.275299
max/min ratio1690421191441690
Notes: pg is permanent grassland, AMP [Bq m−2]—the value was calculated using the mean soil density in the Czech Republic, which is 1460 kg/m3, and a soil abstraction depth of 20 cm, according to the relationship AMP = AM·292.
Table 2. Transfer factors (TF).
Table 2. Transfer factors (TF).
TitleLatin NameActivity
Concentrations
Soil 137Cs
[Bq kg−1 dm]		TFCadastra
Classification
of Land
sugar beet—plant bodyBeta vulgaris25.60.031acreage
sugar beet—rootBeta vulgaris25.6<0.0046acreage
sugar beet—leafBeta vulgaris8.70.077acreage
wheat—stemTriticum16.00.036acreage
wheat—grainTriticum16.0<0.081acreage
wheat—stemTriticum16.00.69acreage
soybeans—beansGlycine max25.3<0.024acreage
soybean legume—stemGlycine max25.30.032acreage
meadow fescue/hay—stemFestuca pratensis17.50.012acreage
White cabbage—plant bodyBrassica oleracea var. Capitata29.50.041acreage
rapeseed—stemBrassica napus45.00.1acreage
poppy—poppyPapaver somniferum22.30.13acreage
potato eggplant—plant bodySolanum tuberosum7.50<0.16acreage
apple—whole fruitMaleventum52.20.011acreage
wine rose—fruitRosa canina14.7<0.054permanent grassland
horseradish—plant bodyArmoracia Rusticana9.4<0.12permanent grassland
mossBryopsida1700.11forest land
mossBryopsida30.10.17forest land
mossBryopsida60.02forest land
Rowan—broodSorbus aucuparia26.50.52forest land
black grouse—whole fruitLactarius lignyotus47.35.3forest land
Boletus blacksmith + toadstool rosacea—whole fruitNeoboletus luridiformis + Amanita
rubescens		79.218forest land
pine cones—whole fruitPinus sylvestris2.731forest land
Note: < sign is followed by the value of the transfer factor (TF) calculated from the minimum significant activity by weight of dry matter of forest and agricultural products.
Table 3. Statistical characteristics of transfer factors divided by cadastral focus.
Table 3. Statistical characteristics of transfer factors divided by cadastral focus.
AllArable LandForest Land
number of samples17107
AM3.40.128.2
SD8.40.2012
GM0.220.0511.8
GSD11.43.399.21
GM/AM ratio0.0640.440.22
minimum0.0110.0110.11
maximum310.6931
max/min ratio299065296
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MDPI and ACS Style

Liszoková, P.; Škrkal, J.; Stalmachová, B.; Záhorová, V.; Pilátová, H. Occurrence of 137Cs in Soil and Agricultural and Forest Products of the Contaminated Northeastern Part of the Czech Republic. Eng. Proc. 2023, 57, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2023057011

AMA Style

Liszoková P, Škrkal J, Stalmachová B, Záhorová V, Pilátová H. Occurrence of 137Cs in Soil and Agricultural and Forest Products of the Contaminated Northeastern Part of the Czech Republic. Engineering Proceedings. 2023; 57(1):11. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2023057011

Chicago/Turabian Style

Liszoková, Petra, Jan Škrkal, Barbara Stalmachová, Věra Záhorová, and Helena Pilátová. 2023. "Occurrence of 137Cs in Soil and Agricultural and Forest Products of the Contaminated Northeastern Part of the Czech Republic" Engineering Proceedings 57, no. 1: 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2023057011

APA Style

Liszoková, P., Škrkal, J., Stalmachová, B., Záhorová, V., & Pilátová, H. (2023). Occurrence of 137Cs in Soil and Agricultural and Forest Products of the Contaminated Northeastern Part of the Czech Republic. Engineering Proceedings, 57(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2023057011

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