Measurement of 137Cs in cultivated soils from two loess areas in Poland

In this paper, a vertical distribution of 137Cs in agricultural soil was investigated. 137Cs is an anthropogenic radioisotope which is strongly adsorbed in soil and can be used to study soil erosion. This paper presents some preliminary results of measurements of activity of 137Cs in soil in Biała and Odonów areas. In both areas, the upper part of the soil profile was cultivated. The experimental results show that the vertical distribution of 137Cs in agricultural soil is different from the vertical distribution of 137Cs in undisturbed soil. The 137Cs is more uniformly distributed in the cultivated soil layer than in an undisturbed site. Migration of 137Cs below plough depth is limited. These data show that the depth distribution of 137Cs in soil profiles for cultivated fields should be considered for precise determination of soil erosion.