Features of biodiversity of radionuclide contaminated soil microflora and its influence on the availability of radionuclides to plants

Work number - M 49 AWARDED

Nominated by National University Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

Author: Olena Pareniuk

The nominated work is focused on study of the impact of radioactive contamination on immobile components of ecosystems, such as microorganisms and plants. Author present data received on a unique site, Chernobyl NPP exclusion zone, which has restricted access for scientists. Implementation of novel research techniques to study the effect of chronic irradiation on biota led to unique results.Our comprehensive results are a successful example of the implementation of a modern multidisciplinary ecosystem research strategy from the study of biodiversity using both classical and advanced techniques to study the effects of microorganisms on the transition of radionuclides into plants.

Herein, the identification of microorganisms that dominate the contaminated soils was done for the first time. Moreover, author evaluated the dynamics of the amount of functional groups of soil microorganisms. The ability of bacteria, isolated from radionuclide-contaminated soil and components of bacterial fertilizers from the collection of the academic institute to accumulate ¹³⁷Cs, were assessed. The influence of these microorganisms on ¹³⁷Cs transfer to plants was demonstrated.

For the first time, the biodiversity of the microflora within the destroyed ChNPP Unit 4 has been analyzed and its functions have been determined, which made it possible to construct a hypothesis concerning the formation of the protoecosystem.

This makes important contribution to the visibility of achievements of Ukrainian science and facilitates effective international collaboration for investigation of the consequences of radioactive contamination.

Results obtained during the project were presented on a number of Ukrainian and international conferences, and are used in the educational process in local universities. Experimental work was supported by several competitive grants and scholarships.

Publications: 47, including one manual and 20 articles (8 - in editions, which has Scopus indexes). In accordance with Scopus database, total number of references to authors’ publications is 8, h-index is 2

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