90Sr, 241Am and plutonium in Barn Owl skeletons (Tyto alba Scop.) from southeast Poland

Kitowski, I., Mietelski, J.W., Gaca, P. and Grzywaczewski, G. (2008) 90Sr, 241Am and plutonium in Barn Owl skeletons (Tyto alba Scop.) from southeast Poland. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 17 (2), 243-246.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Numerous studies concerned with accumulation of several various groups of chemical compounds have been performed on Bam Owls (Tyto alba Scop.). But up to now we have no data about concentrations of radionuclides in their tissues. However, in Europe a large part of the breeding range of this species might have received fallout from Chernobyl. Nine skeletons of Barn Owls collected in 1999-2002 in southeastern Poland were analyzed for 90Sr, 241Am and plutonium. The results revealed 239+240Pu (< 0.004 Bq/kg - 0.051 ± 0.007 Bq/kg ash weight), 241Am (< 0.02 Bq/kg - < 0.06 Bq/kg ash weight) and 90Sr (9.7 ± 0.9 Bq/kg - 46.8 ± 3.6 Bq/kg ash weight) concentrations to be similar to those observed in the prey species; therefore, the conclusion is that no accumulative effect has been seen.

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