Chernobyl fallout in three areas of upland pasture in west Cumbria

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Abstract
The concentrations of 134Cs and 137Cs originating from the Chernobyl fallout have been measured in the standing vegetation of three upland pastures over a three-year period. An exponential decay curve has been used in the past to describe the concentrations on agricultural crops over a short time span (about 200 days). However, a better fit to the later stages of the present three-year span can be obtained by a power curve or a double exponential. Examples of the curves fitted by different methods are given and a range of predicted values calculated for the time to return to pre-Chernobyl levels. Total inventories for the three pastures were established with sites at Corney Fell, Ennerdale and Wastwater containing 16000, 12200 and 14100 Bq m-2 137Cs, respectively. On these sites the pre-Chernobyl contribution of 137Cs is calculated as 17%, 38% and 34%.

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