The application of the RESTORE-EDSS to Chile

¹ GSF, Institute of Radiation Protection, Riskanalysis, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
² Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

Abstract

In Chile unexpectedly high ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations in soils and in food products due to the weapons fallout in the 60^th have been detected. This is partly due to the prevailing climatic conditions (high precipitation rates) and the soil characteristics of the Chilean soils especially in the 10^th administrative Region. Within an EC project of the 4^th framework programme in Nuclear Fission Mastering Event of the Past (RESTORE "restoration strategies for radioactive contaminated ecosystems") an EDSS (Environmental Decision Support System) has been developed which can be adapted to the ecological and site specific conditions of Chile by using information on soil properties, soil contamination and soil-plant transfer factors of ¹³⁷Cs for characteristic Chilean soil types and crops. These data can be used to identify areas which are potentially radioecological sensitive i.e. will result in elevated radiation doses to people living and using these areas, and further more where countermeasure actions might he implemented. The EDSS will use the modern tools such as GIS (geographical information systems) and geostatistical methods, recently developed dynamic soil-plant transfer models to determine fluxes of radiocaesium, and dose calculation models. The system will provide an analysis of the present contamination with radiocaesium of Chile. Later it can be modified and applied for other radionuclides such as radiostrontium. Examples for the implementation of the EDSS and first results are presented.