Evolution of radiocontamination of the northern and middle Adriatic Sea in the period 1979-1990

Several investigations were carried out on biotic and abiotic samples to determine the difference between Chernobyl and preChernobyl environmental radiocontamination of the Adriatic Sea. Special emphasis was put on the determination of 137Cs which resulted in the most abundant radionuclide in a wide variety of samples (sea water, sediment, pelagic and benthic species). Attention was also given to the neutron activation products 110mAg and 134Cs that were first discovered in the Adriatic ecosystem after the Chernobyl event. In particular, although the 110Ag fallout deposition over the area was neglected in comparison to that of 137Cs, its bioaccumulation in macroalgae and molluscs was much higher suggesting some particular physiological accumulation mechanism.