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3. Cumulative Fallout Record (137Cs)

The database compiled by the Riso National Laboratory is the most comprehensive record of yearly fallout (column 1 of the following table) and cumulative fallout (column 2) for radiocesium available in the public domain. The Riso Laboratory has also compiled an equally comprehensive record of 90Sr which is not cited in this website. The U.S. also collected detailed data about the dietary intake of fallout nuclides, cited in Section 9, but most unclassified U.S. environmental monitoring reports consist of summaries of composites, usually monthly or quarterly averages, which successfully mask real time localized pulses of radiation, especially in areas close to the weapons testing site in Nevada. The research and publications of the Riso National Laboratory set the standard for media specific analysis of environmental radiation which remained unchallenged until the Chernobyl accident, at which time Finland compiled the most comprehensive reports of the impact of the accident.

Denmark was considered to have received a minimal amount of Chernobyl derived radiocesium and other radionuclides. The mean deposition of 1,210 Bq/m2 recorded in Denmark in 1986 was, nonetheless, higher than the highest annual cesium deposition during any preceding year but still insignificant compared to the peak depositions of 60,000 to 100,000 Bq/m2 recorded in sections of Norway, Sweden, Finland and England. These countries are among the few locations which have maintained adequate record keeping of the impact of the Chernobyl accident; the tradition of freedom of information (FOI) pertaining to radioactivity in the environment needs to be expanded to include a comprehensive survey of the areas adjacent to fuel reprocessing, weapons production, and nuclear power production facilities. There is an urgent need for comprehensive radiological surveys, including radiometric surveys of contamination deposition expressed as radioactivity per square meter, media specific pathway analyses for the population groups most impacted by anthropogenic source points of radioactive contamination, and real-time nuclide specific monitoring of air concentrations of radioactive effluents. The research and record keeping of the Riso National Laboratory pertaining to the accumulated fallout from weapons tests, as well as its comprehensive media specific yearly reports represent the first step in updating antiquated radiological surveillance paradigms.
 
Fallout rates and accumulated fallout (Bq 137Cs m-2) in Denmark 1950-1991 (1)
Denmark
Jutland
Islands
Year
di
Ai(30.02)
di
Ai(30.02)
di
Ai(30.02)
1950
1.243
1.215
1.302
1.273
1.184
1.157
1951
5.979
7.030
6.749
7.838
5.210
6.221
1952
11.722
18.323
13.261
20.618
10.182
16.029
1953
29.600
46.830
33.507
52.889
25.693
40.770
1954
112.539
155.731
127.398
176.173
97.680
135.290
1955
148.059
296.857
167.595
335.922
128.523
257.792
1956
183.579
469.471
207.792
531.304
159.366
407.637
1957
183.579
638.145
207.792
722.227
159.366
554.062
1958
254.678
872.445
288.245
987.409
221.053
757.424
1959
361.238
1205.526
408.954
1364.492
313.582
1046.561
1960
67.488
1243.959
76.427
1408.032
58.608
1079.940
1961
87.675
1301.241
99.219
1472.849
76.072
1129.632
1962
439.738
1701.242
472.179
1900.635
407.296
1501.849
1963
988.344
2628.199
1092.418
2924.739
884.270
1331.659
1964
616.390
3170.535
691.752
3533.949
541.029
2807.121
1965
234.077
3326.905
248.877
3696.486
219.277
2957.324
1966
126.984
3375.057
128.227
3737.418
125.741
3012.697
1967
61.982
3358.593
69.619
3720.145
54.346
2997.040
1968
83.058
3363.098
92.826
3725.944
73.230
3000.195
1969
61.272
3346.212
73.467
3712.693
49.077
2979.675
1970
97.502
3365.115
117.986
3743.247
77.019
2986.928
1971
89.155
3375.430
102.179
3757.659
76.131
2993.148
1972
25.752
3323.554
27.054
3698.331
24.450
2948.724
1973
11.366
3258.804
12.728
3626.358
9.946
2891.141
1974
42.032
3225.498
46.117
3588.654
38.066
2862.350
1975
24.509
3175.828
26.758
3532.894
22.259
2818.771
1976
6.098
3109.302
6.867
3458.970
5.328
2759.642
1977
22.733
3060.549
23.976
3403.451
21.430
2717.597
1978
27.410
3017.479
31.850
3356.893
22.970
2678.016
1979
9.827
2958.211
10.301
3290.341
9.235
2625.917
1980
5.606
2896.171
6.766
3221.854
4.591
2570.470
1981
17.059
2846.738
18.316
3166.216
15.948
2527.385
1982
2.706
2784.409
2.851
3096.736
2.561
2472.203
1983
2.151
2722.959
2.126
3028.134
2.175
2417.902
1984
1.751
2662.521
1.935
2960.911
1.567
2364.247
1985
1.290
2603.012
1.191
2894.495
1.388
2311.642
1986
1210.000
3725.984
1340.000
4137.847
1080.000

3314.232

1987
29.000
3669.280
32.000
4074.674
26.000
3263.994
1988
11.900
3597.161
13.400
3994.768
10.300
3199.562
1989
3.500
3518.480
4.510
3907.998
2.530
3129.007
1990
2.63
3440.744
3.85
3822.564
1.41
3058.968
1991
1.63
3363.805
1.92
3737.194
1.36
2990.480

(1) Aarkrog, A., Botter-Jensen, L., Jiang, Chen Quing, Dahlgaard, H., Hansen, H., Holm, E., Lauridsen, B., Nielsen, S.P., Strandberg, M. and Sogaard-Hansen, J. (1992). Environmental radioactivity in Denmark in 1990 and 1991. Roskilde, Denmark: Riso National Laboratory.
 
4. Cesium Baseline (to 1986)

Cesium-137 is the nuclide of choice in this website for the documentation of both stratospheric fallout contamination and Chernobyl derived fallout (See Section 10). Strontium-90 is the nuclide most associated with weapons fallout, and it occurred in larger quantities in stratospheric fallout than radiocesium. However, radiocesium is the largest constituent of spent fuel, the most prevalent long-lived component of the tropospheric plume which originated at Chernobyl, and an omnipresent fission product resulting from most nuclear industries and activities.

DATE LOCATION MEDIA NUCLIDE ACTIVITY
Memo: To obtain becquerels per unit of measurement, divide picocuries by 27.

Booker, D.V. (1959). Cesium-137 in dried milk. Nature,183. pg. 921-924.
 
1957
England
Milk
137Cs
870 pCi/kg

Yamagata, N., Kodaira, K. and Hiroshi, H. (1962). Cesium-137 in Japanese people and diet. Journal of Radiation Research, 3, 3, 182-192.
 
Feb. 1962
Japan
Daily intake
137Cs
50 pCi/day
Baxter, A.J. and Camplin, W.C. (1993). Radiocaesium in the seas of northern Europe:  1962-69.  Fish. Res. Data Rep., MAFF Direct. Fish. Res., Lowestoft. 31. pg. 1-69.

Wilson, A. R. and Spiers, F.W. (1967). Fallout cesium-137 and potassium in new-born infants. Nature, 215, 470-474.
 
1966
Leeds, England
Mother
137Cs
0.202 nc/kg (202 pCi/kg)
1966
Leeds, England
Infant
137Cs
0.196 nc/kg (196 pCi/kg)

Pelletier, C.A. and Voilleque, P.G. (1971). The behavior of 137Cs and other fallout radionuclides on a Michigan dairy farm. Health Physics, 21, 777- 792.
 
1964-65
Tecumseh, MI
Milk
137Cs
140 pCi/l
Gruter, H. (1970). Radioactive fission product Cs-137 in mushrooms in West Germany during 1963-1970. Health Phys. 20. pg. 655-656.

Brisbin, I.L., Geiger, R.A. and Smith, M.H. (1973). Accumulation and redistribution of radiocaesium by migratory waterfowl inhabiting a reactor cooling reservoir. Environmental Behavior of Radionuclides Released in the Nuclear Industry, Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency.
 
1971-72
Savannah River, S.C.
(Waterfowl) Common Gallinules
137Cs
1,500 pCi/kg live weight 

Bowen, V.T., Noshkin, V.E., Volchok, H.L., Livingston, H.D. and Wong, K.M. (1974). Cesium 137 to Strontium 90 ratios in the Atlantic Ocean 1966 through 1972. Limnology and Oceanography, 19, 4, 670-681.

Hawthorne, H.A., Zellmer, S.D., Eberhard, L.L. and Thomas, J.M. (1976). 137 Cesium cycling in a Utah dairy farm. Health Physics, 30, 447- 464.
 
1963-67
Utah Dairy Farm
Alfalfa
137Cs
3,058 pCi/kg (112.4 Bq/kg)

Richie, J.C. and McHenry, J.R. (1978). Fallout cesium-137 in cultivated and noncultivated North Central United States watersheds. J. Envrion. Qual., 7, 1, 40-44. Toonkel, L.E. (1980). Environmental Measurements Laboratory: Environmental quarterly, October 1, 1980. EML-381. Appendix. U.S. Department of Energy, New York, NY. Camplin, W.C. and Steele, A.K. (1991). Radiocaesium in the seas of northern Europe:  1980-84.  Fish. Res. Data Rep., MAFF Direct. Fish. Res., Lowestoft. 25. pg. 1-174.

National Research Council of Canada. (1983). Radioactivity in the Canadian aquatic environment. NRCC Report no. 19250.

Holm, E., Persson, B.R.R., Hallstadius, L., Aarkrog, A. and Dahlgaard, H. (1983). Radiocesium and transuranium elements in the Greenland and Barents Seas. Oceanol. Acta., 6, 4, 457-462.
 
June-Oct. 1980
Barents Sea
Sediment
137Cs
18.1 Bq/kg
June-Oct. 1980
Barents Sea
Sediment
239Pu
1.10 Bq/kg

Davis, R.B., Hess, T.C., Norton, S.A., Hanson, D.W., Hoagland, K.D. and Anderson, D.S. (1984). 137Cs and 210Pb dating of sediments from soft-water lakes in New England (U.S.A.) and Scandinavia, a failure of 137Cs dating. Chemical Geology, 44, 151-185.
 
1978
Norway / pond
Sediment
137Cs
39,900 pCi/kg
1979
Maine / pond
Sediment
137Cs
21,400 pCi/kg
1979
Norway / pond
Sediment
137Cs
32,100 pCi/kg

Memo: to convert becquerels to picocuries multiply becquerels by 27. 

Casso, S.A. and Livingston, H.D. (1984). Radiocesium and other nuclides in the Norwegian-Greenland seas (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Technical Report WHOI-84- 40). Woods Hole, MA: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
 
1981
Norwegian Sea
Seawater
137Cs
570 d.p.m./100 kg

Baxter, A.J. and Camplin, W.C. (1993). Radiocaesium in the seas of northern Europe:  1985-89.  Fish. Res. Data Rep., MAFF Direct. Fish. Res., Lowestoft. 32. pg. 1-179.

Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety. (1986). Studies on environmental radioactivity in Finland in 1986: Annual Report. Report No. STUK-A55. Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, Helsinki, Finland.
 
Dec.-April 1986 Finland Air concentration 131I 4.3 µBq/m3
Dec.-April 1986 Finland Air concentration 134Cs 0.25 µBq/m3
Dec.-April 1986 Finland Air concentration 137Cs 1.25 µBq/m3
Dec.-April 1986 Finland Milk 137Cs 0.23 Bq/l
Dec.-April 1986 Finland Beef 137Cs 0.9 Bq/kg
1980-1985  Finland Pike 137Cs 42 Bq/kg mean concentration

Hunt, G.J. (1986). Radioactivity in surface and coastal waters of the British Isles, 1985. Aquatic Environment Monitoring Report, No. 14. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Directorate of Fisheries Research, Lowestoft, Great Britain.

Scottish Development Department. (1987). Statistical Bulletin, Number 1(E), 1987. Edinburgh: Government Statistical Service.

Mitchell, P.I., Vidal-Quadras, A., Font, J.L. and Oliva, M. (1988). Gamma radioactivity in the Iberian marine environment closest to the NEA dumping site. J. Environ. Radioactivity. 6. pg. 77-89.
 
1984
Iberian Coastline
Fish
137Cs
Range 1.1-6.2 Bq/kg

Cunningham, J.D., O'Grady, J. and Rush, T. (1988). Radioactivity monitoring of the Irish marine environment, 1985-86. Nuclear Energy Board, Dublin.
 
1985-86
Irish Sea
Seaweed
137Cs
0.5 Bq/kg
pre-Chernobyl mean
1985
Irish Sea
Whiting (fish)
137Cs
pv 91 Bq/kg
pre-Chernobyl 

Potter, C.M., Brisbin, I.L., McDowell, S.G. and Whicker, F.W. (1989). Distribution of 137Cs in the American Coot (Fulica americana). J. Environ. Radioactivity. 9 pg. 105-115.
 
Dec. 1986
S. Carolina:
Savanna River Plant
American Coot-skeletal muscle
137Cs
3,950 Bq/kg
Dec. 1986
S. Carolina:
Savanna River Plant
Am. Coot - GI contents 
137Cs
3,940 Bq/kg

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