137Cs distribution in tropical fruit trees after soil contamination

Gamma-ray spectra from guava (Psidium guajava), mango (Mangifera indica) and avocado (Pet-sea americana) trees were measured. These tropical fruit trees were planted at one site that was contaminated by Cs-137 due to a radiological accident occurred in the city of Goiania, Brazil, in 1987. The Cs-137 concentrations in fruit, leaves, twigs, stems, and roots were measured in order to determine its distribution in tropical fruit trees. Binary diagrarns of the Cs-137 radial distribution in the main trunk are presented. Comparisons with longitudinal and radial distributions of K-40 for these trees are also shown. The Cs-137 concentration is higher in fruit, leaves and bark than in the inner parts of the plant (main trunk and stems) and neither symmetrical nor homogeneous behavior of the Cs-137 radial distribution is observed. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.