Retrospective analysis of Sr-90 in roe deer antlers originating from north-west Germany

Abstract

Antlers originating from Lower Saxony, Germany, and covering a broad range of the nuclear weapons testing period were collected from hunters. The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) loses the antlers yearly. Therefore, the level of Sr-90 in the antlers represents the uptake during a single year. In total 18 samples from the years 1960–1971 and 1997 as well as from 1913 were collected. The mean value of the Sr-90 level in the antlers from the 1960s was 450\u2009±\u2009250 Bq kg−1 dry weight. Possible correlations were investigated. The strongest correlation was found with the Sr-90 level in the soil.