Correlation of unsupported 210Pb activity in soil and moss

•Samples of the soil and mosses were collected at same location.•Lead-210 was measured in mosses and soil.•Annual depositional flux of 210Pb is determined using 210Pb measured in soil.•Dependence of 210Pb in mosses of 210Pb atmospheric depositional flux can be observed.

The activities of unsupported 210Pb, a naturally occurring radionuclide, were measured in samples of soil and terrestrial mosses collected in Serbia. Considering that clay particles in soil have a high affinity for Pb adsorption, and that mosses usually capture aerosol particles to obtain necessary nutrients, measurable amounts of airborne 210Pb, the daughter of 222Rn, can be registered in both soil and mosses. The objective of the present study was to determine if it is possible to compare the activity of unsupported 210Pb in soil and moss collected at the same sampling site, and to establish if a correlation exists between these measured values.