Radiocaesium fallout in Ireland from the Chernobyl accident

1 March 1989

journal article
Published by IOP Publishing in Journal of Radiological Protection

Vol. 9 (1) , 29-32
https://doi.org/10.1088/0952-4746/9/1/004

Abstract

Presents a radiocaesium deposition pattern over Ireland resulting from the Chernobyl accident. Contaminated grassland soils from over 110 sites were analysed using gamma ray spectrometry. ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁴⁰K were measured in all samples. The Chernobyl ¹³⁷Cs was identified using an initial Chernobyl fallout ¹³⁷Cs to ¹³⁴Cs ratio of 1.90. The results show a mean deposition level of 3.2 kBq m^-2 of ¹³⁷Cs due to Chernobyl. The range of deposition was from 0.3 to 14.2 kBq m^-2. The distribution pattern is presented both on a National Grid sub-zone basis and a higher resolution shaded map. A similarly shaded map shows the rainfall levels responsible for most of the washout. It is pointed out that some areas on both east and west coasts with maximum rainfall did not have maximum caesium deposition. In other areas a better correlation between rainfall and caesium deposition exists. A mean figure for the pre-Chernobyl ¹³⁷Cs in surface soil is provided.

Keywords

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