Contamination and radiation exposure in central Europe after the Chernobyl accident

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Health Physics

OSTI ID:394021

Bayer, A ^[1]; Mueck, K ^[2]; Loosli, H H ^[3]

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1. Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, Oberschleissheim (Germany)
2. Osterreichisches Forschungszentrum Seibersdorf (Austria)
3. Universitaet Bern (Switzerland)

Ten years ago, on 26 April 1986, as a consequence of an accident in Unit 4 of the Chernobyl-NPP, a large quantity of radioactive material was released into the atmosphere for some days. This material was spread over wide areas of Europe. Due to variable weather conditions the activity concentrations in air varied considerably in different regions. Also as a consequence of large variations in precipitation intensity-particularly in the regions of Southeastern Germany, Austria and Southern Switzerland-up to 100 kBq m{sup -2} {sup 137}Cs were deposited on the soil. Due to fallout, washout, and/or rainout, a range of foodstuffs were contaminated, and foodstuffs directly exposed to the fallout [vegetables and green fodder (grass)] showed the highest contamination levels. Consequently, milk also showed a significantly increased activity concentration, in particular of {sup 131}I. In the following years contamination in all kinds of foodstuffs decreased, but elevated contamination levels in special pathways like venison and mushrooms are still observed to date. This contamination resulted in additional exposure, mainly due to external radiation from ground and from consumption of contaminated food. The radiation exposure in the most contaminated areas was calculated on the basis of model assumptions and was found to be about 1 mSv during the first year after the accident. Using this model, the ingestion pathway was overestimated by at least a factor of two. This additional exposure decreased and is now less than 1 % on average; in the most contaminated areas, this is a few percent of the average natural radiation exposure.

• OSTI ID: 394021
• Report Number(s): CONF-9607135--
• Journal Information: Health Physics, Journal Name: Health Physics Journal Issue: Suppl.6 Vol. 70; ISSN HLTPAO; ISSN 0017-9078
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
CESIUM 137
CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR
CONTAMINATION
EUROPE
FALLOUT
FOOD CHAINS
INGESTION
IODINE 131
MAN
MILK
MUSHROOMS
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
RADIATION DOSES
VEGETABLES
WASHOUT