Persistence of Cesium-137 in Arctic Lichens, Dryas integrifolia, and Lake Sediments

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Abstract
Samples of soils and plants collected at various locations in the Canadian Arctic for biomass and primary production study were also tested for radioactive contaimination arising from nuclear weapons testing. Measurements with a .gamma. ray spectrometer showed that all the organic samples were contaminated with 137Cs, whereas the soils were relatively free of this isotope. A surprisingly high level of 137Cs was observed in the fine organic sediments taken from a high Arctic oligotrophic lake. The radial distribution of 137Cs in an Arctic cushion plant, D. integrifolia, was determined and used to confirm a dating procedure for this type of plant. Samples collected in 1977 show radioactive contamination due to the Chinese nuclear explosion of Sept. 1976.