Radioactive contamination in the Belarusian sector of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

¹ Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, P.O. Box 55, N-1332 Østeras, Norway
² Polessie State Radiation-Ecological Reserve, Tereshkovoy Street 7, Khoiniki, Gomel Region 247601, Belarus
³ Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of National Agricultural University, Mashinobudivnykiv St., 7, Chabany, Kyiv-Svjatoshin distr., Kyiv reg. 08162, Ukraine
⁴ Institute of Radiobiology of the National Academy of Science of Belarus, Fedjuninskogo st., 4, Gomel 246007, Belarus
⁵ Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
⁶ Belarus State University, Faculty of Chemistry. Nezavisimosty ave. 4, Minsk 220030, Belarus
⁷ Republican Center of Radiation Control and Environment Monitoring, Nezavisimost‘ av., 110a, Minsk 220114, Belarus

Abstract

This article summarises some key activities undertaken as part of a NATO-funded project to map and improve our understanding of the behaviour and fate of radionuclides in the Belarusian Sector of the Chernobyl Exclusion zone. Data are presented concerning activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr and selected actinides and how these data have been used to produce contour maps of contamination densities. Factors affecting the transfer of radionuclides to plants and animals at selected study sites are considered and the geochemical phase association of radionulcides in soils and implications for actinide mobility commented upon. A final important subject for elaboration has been the transboundary transport of contamination by natural phenomena. The influence of forest fires on remobilisation of radionuclides, for example, has been addressed through the application of a bespoke probabilistic model.