The natural radioactivity of the Carpathian national parks and radon evaluation

The results of the low-background gamma spectrometric measurements of protected mountain areas (Zacharovanyy Kray, Chorne Bahno, Ihthyological Preserve Rika and Uzhanskij National Natural Park) in the region of Primeval Beech Forests of the Transcarpathia, Ukraine, are presented. The distances between sampling points in a single protected area were in the range of 200–400 m in elevation of 300 m; probes were taken from the surface, from depth 20 cm and more than 50 cm. The proposed sampling scheme allows one to investigate the radionuclide concentration in protected area’s soils, their distribution on/near the mountain ridges and migration in depth (0–50 cm). We also investigate the influence the soils’ pH on the contents and the migration of nuclides. The obtained data allow us to study the statistical regularities between the sampling points along and down mountain ridges on the base of their radionuclide content. These results are important for evaluating the radon content/distribution and developing standards in the radionuclide content of the soil Carpathian region.