90Sr and239+240Pu238Pu241Am in some samples of mushrooms and forest soil from Poland

Strontium-90, plutonium and americium activity concentrations in a few samples of forest soils, some species of mushrooms and fern leaves have been determined. These results are compared with cesium activity concentrations in the same materials obtained in a previous work. Radiochemical procedures are described. The origin of the contamination (Chernobyl accident or nuclear test explosion release) is discussed. The90Sr activity concentration ranges from 0.6 Bq/kg (mushroom samples) to 48.4 Bq/kg (fern leaves). For239+240Pu, it ranges from not detected above background (mushrooms, fern) to 10.8 Bq/kg (humus layer of forest soil). The maximum concentration of241Am is found to be 2.4 Bq/kg (humus sample) and for238Pu it is 0.85 Bq/kg (also in the humus sample).