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Chernobyl fallout in southern and central Finland.

M Jantunen1, A Reponen, P Kauranen

  • 1National Public Health Institute, Department of Environmental Hygiene and Toxicology, Kuopio, Finland.

Health Physics
|March 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Chernobyl fallout in Finland showed uneven radionuclide distribution. Volatile elements like iodine spread widely, while nonvolatile elements like cerium and zirconium formed a narrow zone, indicating distinct release mechanisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Radiochemistry
  • Nuclear Chemistry

Background:

  • The Chernobyl accident released significant amounts of radionuclides into the atmosphere.
  • Understanding the distribution and behavior of these radionuclides is crucial for assessing environmental impact.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the levels and spatial distribution of various radionuclides in Southern and Central Finland following the Chernobyl accident.
  • To analyze the variations in radionuclide ratios and correlate fallout patterns with elemental properties and release mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Surface peat sampling at 62 sites across Southern and Central Finland.
  • Measurement of key radionuclides including Iodine-131 (131I), Cesium-134 (134Cs), Cesium-137 (137Cs), Tellurium-132 (132Te), Barium-140 (140Ba), Ruthenium-103 (103Ru), Strontium-90 (90Sr), Cerium-141 (141Ce), and Zirconium-95 (95Zr).

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Main Results:

  • Fallout activity distribution was highly uneven, influenced by air mass movement and rainfall.
  • Observed peak activities of 420 kBq m-2 for 131I and 70 kBq m-2 for 137Cs.
  • Nonvolatile elements (Ce, Zr) showed a narrow fallout zone, while volatile elements (I, Te) had a wider distribution. Ruthenium (Ru) exhibited complex behavior, found in both volatile and nonvolatile fallout fractions.

Conclusions:

  • The distinct fallout patterns suggest a dual release mechanism from the Chernobyl accident: pulverized fuel particles (nonvolatiles) and evaporated volatile materials.
  • Elemental properties like melting and boiling points partially explained fallout behavior, but the physical state of radionuclides (e.g., metallic vs. oxide forms of Ru) also played a significant role.
  • The study highlights the complex environmental dispersion of Chernobyl radionuclides and the importance of considering different release forms.