Vertical migration studies of 137Cs from nuclear weapons fallout and the Chernobyl accident

After the Chernobyl accident the sampling and measuring program of the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety was intensified both for surveillance and research purposes. The deposition pattern of radionuclides was more complicated than from the global fallout after the nuclear weapons tests. The radioactive deposition was very unevenly distributed in Lapland, as also in the rest of Finland. Fortunately, the amounts of deposition in Lapland were only about one-tenth of the corresponding amount of deposition in southern Finland. In 1986-87 the mean concentration of Cs-137 in lichens and in reindeer meat increased to about the same level as in 1972-73 or to about 30 per cent of the maximum levels found in 1964-65 after the nuclear weapons tests. The activity concentrations in reindeer tissues vary according to season. In winter, reindeer eat considerable amounts of lichens with high radiocesium concentrations. In summer, lichens are replaced by other forage such as leaves from trees, green plants, etc. The ratio of Cs-137 concentration in reindeer meat between summer and winter is about 0.2. The mean concentration of Cs-137 in meat for consumption from the slaughtering period 1986-87 was 720 Bq/kg fresh weight. After that time concentrations started decreasing since no new fallout was deposited.

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Vertical migration studies of 137Cs from nuclear weapons fallout and the Chernobyl accident

ECOLOGICAL HALF-TIME OF RADIOCESIUM FROM CHERNOBYL DEBRIS AND FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS FALLOUT AS MEASURED IN A GROUP OF SUBJECTS FROM THE SOUTH OF SWEDEN

Nuclear weapons fallout 137Cs in temperate and tropical pine forest soils, 50 years post-deposition

The radiological impact of the Chernobyl debris compared with that from nuclear weapons fallout

Spatial distribution and vertical migration of 137Cs in soils of Belgrade (Serbia) 25 years after the Chernobyl accident

ECOLOGICAL HALF-TIME AND EFFECTIVE DOSE FROM CHERNOBYL DEBRIS AND FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS FALLOUT OF 137Cs AS MEASURED IN DIFFERENT SWEDISH POPULATIONS

Transfer of 137Cs from Chernobyl debris and nuclear weapons fallout to different Swedish population groups

Can nuclear weapons fallout mark the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch?

Ingestion doses in Finland due to 90Sr, 134Cs, and 137Cs from nuclear weapons testing and the Chernobyl accident

Chlorine 36 and tritium from nuclear weapons fallout as tracers for long-term liquid and vapor movement in desert soils

Radiocesium in lichens and reindeer after the Chernobyl accident

Nuclear weapons fallout 137Cs in temperate and tropical pine forest soils, 50 years post-deposition