Statistical characteristics of the spatial distribution of territorial contamination by radionuclides from the Chernobyl accident

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Atomic Energy (New York)

OSTI ID:62518

Arutyunyan, R V; Bol`shov, L A; Vasil`ev, S K; Evdokimov, I V; Petrov, B F; Pleskachevskii, L A

The objective of this study was to clarify a number of issues related to the spatial distribution of contaminants from the Chernobyl accident. The effects of local statistics were addressed by collecting and analyzing (for Cesium 137) soil samples from a number of regions, and it was found that sample activity differed by a factor of 3-5. The effect of local non-uniformity was estimated by modeling the distribution of the average activity of a set of five samples for each of the regions, with the spread in the activities for a {+-}2 range being equal to 25%. The statistical characteristics of the distribution of contamination were then analyzed and found to be a log-normal distribution with the standard deviation being a function of test area. All data for the Bryanskaya Oblast area were analyzed statistically and were adequately described by a log-normal function.

• OSTI ID: 62518
• Journal Information: Atomic Energy (New York), Journal Name: Atomic Energy (New York) Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 75; ISSN AENYEZ; ISSN 1063-4258
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CESIUM 137
CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR
FALLOUT
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
STRONTIUM 90
SURFACE CONTAMINATION