Determination of the amount of Chernobyl-derived Cs-137 transported through Dardanelles Strait

In this study, the 137Cs activity and seasonal variation of its concentration were investigated in sea water samples which were taken from Dardanelles Strait during 10 months. After Fukishima Nuclear Power Plant occurred in Japan during writing the thesis stage, sea water and rain water samples were taken and 137Cs activity of them was determined. Besides water samples, organism such as Sardine (Sardine pilchardus), Blacktail bream (Diplodus vulgaris), Whiting (Merlanguis euxmus), Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Gilt head bream (Sparus aurata), Red sea bream (Sparus pagrus) and Mullet (Mullus surmuletus) which were captured in the Dardanelles Strait were used. In addition to samples of fish, mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) served as bio indicator in sea, algae and sediment samples were taken and their 137Cs was determined.The activity of 137Cs in water samples taken from the Dardanelles Strait between April 2010 and May 2011 was determined between 11,64±1,46 - 15,38±1,51 Bq.m-3. The activity of 137Cs in water sample taken after Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant was determined as 11,1±1,05 Bq.m-3 and changes in samples taken are shown in the graphic. As rain water samples taken after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is just 9 lt and Cs concentration in rain water is too little, no 137Cs radioactivity has been found in samples and the result is given only as MDA . For the sediment sample (dry) the activity of 137Cs was measured as 1,6±1,0 Bq/kg and determined to consistent with previous studies.In our study, concentrations of 137Cs determined in seaweed and mussel samples remained below the minimum detectable activity. While the concentrations of 137Cs in surface fish remains below the minimum detectable activity, concentration of 137Cs was found at some bottom fish. It determined that 137Cs activity observed in fish ranged between 1,24±0,05 and 0,7±0,12 Bq/kg. It was found that the value of 137Cs in the organism such as and mussels consumed by people is below the limits set by EU (in food staff for 137Cs 600Bq/kg).