The following section of our website has been translated into Italian by Humus - Progetto.
(The Humus Project: The effects of Chernobyl contamination on the soil.)

Larsen, R.J., Sanderson, C.G., Rivera, W. and Zamichieli, M. (1986). The characterization of radionuclides in North American and Hawaiian surface air and deposition following the Chernobyl accident. In: Environmental Measurements Laboratory: A compendium of the Environmental Measurements Laboratory's research projects related to the Chernobyl nuclear accident: October 1, 1986. Report No. EML-460. U.S. Department of Energy, New York, NY. pg. 1-104.
 

May 11, 1986	Rexburg, Idaho	Air concentration	131I	11,390 µBq/m3
May 11, 1986	New York City	Air concentration	131I	20,720 µBq/m3
May 11, 1986	New York City	Air concentration	137Cs	9,720 µBq/m3
May 1986	Rexburg, Idaho	Total ground deposition	131I	707 Bq/m2
May 1986	Chester, NJ	Total ground deposition	131I	168.4 Bq/m2
May 1986	Chester, NJ	Total ground deposition	137Cs	68.5 Bq/m2

• Chernobyl debris appeared in both eastern and western sites of the U.S. in similar magnitudes. The mean activity ratio of cesium-137 to cesium-134 was 1.9 at all sites.
• This is a detailed survey of air concentration radioactivity levels at Barrow, Alaska; Moosonee, Canada; Beaverton, Oregon; Rexburg, Idaho; Chester, NJ; NY, NY; Biscayne, Florida; Miami, Florida; Mauna Loa, Hawaii.
• Small quantities of numerous Chernobyl-derived radionuclides were noted at most stations including ^103,106Ru, ¹⁴⁰Ba,¹⁴⁰La, ⁹⁵Zr, ⁹⁵Mo, ¹⁴¹Ce, ¹⁴⁴Ce.

• "The nearly simultaneous arrival of radioactive debris at widely separated locations resulted from different paths being taken by the debris released at different times during the course of the accident." The plume pathways crossed the Arctic within the lower troposphere, and the Pacific Ocean within the mid-troposphere. (pg. 1).
• Peak concentrations of gross beta: 2.0 pCi/m³ (74,000 µBq/m³ on May 10 in South-central Idaho.)
• This report contains radiometric data (isopleths) of gross beta concentration which are unusually uniform given the erratic patterns of Chernobyl fallout noted in other countries and do not match the data contained in some other reports.

• Air concentration is usually reported in picocuries, or in Europe, in microbecquerels (µBq); a femtocurie (10^-15) is three orders of magnitude less than a picocurie (10^-12). The minimum detectable level in air is 0.01 pCi/m³ (10 femtocuries). Most U.S. reports of radioactivity in air are not nuclide specific, but rather summarize gross beta activity in airborne particulates.
• These data show a minimal impact from the Chernobyl accident but make interesting points of comparison with the real time air concentrations of Chernobyl-derived radionuclides recorded in Finland, as well as in other sections of North America (see Canada).

• A wide variety of gamma emitting nuclides noted throughout the U.S. in May, '86 including ¹⁰³Ru, ¹⁰⁶Ru, ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁶Cs, ¹³⁷Cs, ¹⁴⁰Ba, ¹⁴⁰La, ¹³²I and ⁹⁵Zr/
• Extensive ¹³¹I in precipitation in May throughout US in all stations, with 15 reports above 1000 pCi/l.
• 14.3 pCi/m³ is in excess of 500,000 µBq/m³, one of the highest levels of air particulate activity in the U.S. since the termination of nuclear weapons testing.
• Ground deposition activities are not included in EPA reports.

Toppan, C. (Memo released May 8, 1986). Iodine detected in rain water by DHS. Manager, Department of Human Services, Augusta, ME.
 

May 7-8, 1986	Augusta	Wet deposition	131I	1,561 pCi/m2
May 9, 1986	Augusta	Rainfall	131I	110 pCi/l

Toppan, C. (Memos released May 9-13, 1986). Update on DHS radiation monitoring. Manager, Department of Human Services, Augusta, ME.
 

May 12, 1986

Augusta

Air concentration

131I

0.80 pCi/m3

Schell, R. (Memo released July 9, 1986). Quarterly radiation monitoring report. Department of Human Services, Augusta, ME.
 

May 16, 1986	Maine	Milk	131I	52.5 pCi/l
May 1986	Wiscasset, ME	Seaweed	131I	176 pCi/kg
June 1986	Maine	Milk	137Cs	20.29 pCi/l
June 1986	Maine	Milk	134Cs	9.68 pCi/l

Maryland

Dibb, J.E. and Rice, D.L. (1988). Short communication: Chernobyl fallout in the Chesapeake Bay region. J. Environ. Radioactivity. 7. pg. 193-196.
 

May 8- June 20, 1986	Solomons MD	Ground deposition	137Cs	4,250 Bq/m2
May 8- June 20, 1986	Solomons MD	Ground deposition	134Cs	2,000 Bq/m2
May 8- June 20, 1986	Solomons MD	Ground deposition	103Ru	22,000 Bq/m2

• The highest levels of fallout were on May 22 and were associated with rainfall events.
• ¹³⁴Cs/¹³⁷Cs isotopic ratios were the same as those measured in Sweden, Paris, Japan and Tennessee.
• The high levels of Chernobyl fallout reported in Maryland contradict EPA and other federal reports indicating little or no Chernobyl fallout in the Maryland area.
• Ground deposition for ¹³⁷Cs at 4,250 comes close to equaling or exceeding total weapons testing cesium fallout at this location.

Dreicer, M. and Klusek, C.S. (1988). Transport of ¹³¹I through the grass-cow-milk pathway at a Northeast US dairy following the Chernobyl Accident. J. Environ. Radioactivity. 7. pg. 201-207.
 

May 15, 1986	Chester, NJ	Grass	131I	72.2 Bq/kg dry weight
May 17, 1986	Chester, NJ	Milk	131I	1.47 Bq/l

• Several EML reports compilated at the EML laboratory in Chester, New Jersey are reported under the New York (metropolitan area) section heading.

Feely, H.W., Helfer, I.K., Juzdan, Z.R., Klusek, C.S., Larsen, R.J., Leifer, R. and Sanderson, C.G. (1988). Fallout in the New York metropolitan area following the Chernobyl accident. J. Environ. Radioactivity. 7. pg. 177-191.
 

May 1986	NY City	Air/gaseous	131I	23 mBq/m3
May 1986	NY City	Air/aerosol	131I	20 mBq/m3
May 1986	NY City	Air/aerosol	137Cs	9.5 mBq/m3
May 1986	NY City	Milk	137Cs	1.5 Bq/l

• "The total deposition of Chernobyl ¹³⁷Cs deposition was <1% of that already present in the soil from fallout from past nuclear weapon tests..." (pg. 177).
• The report of a peak concentration of 130Cs in grass at 8 Bq/m² is at variance with numerous other reports of much higher levels of cesium deposition at most other reporting stations in the U.S. (see Dibbs, 1988; Maryland). [http://courses.lib.odu.edu/ocen/mmulholl/boynton_article.pdf gives that reference as: DIBBS, J. E. 1988. The dynamics of Beryllium-7 in Chesapeake Bay. Ph.D. Dissertation, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York.]
• The total iodine air activity of 43 mBq/m³ (43,000 µBq/m³) is a distinctly elevated level of environmental radioactivity.

• On May 12, 1986, in the New York metropolitan area, ¹³¹I levels in milk were 40 pCi/l and ¹³⁷Cs 80 pCi/l for fresh milk. Pasteurized milk showed a delayed ¹³¹I peak concentration on May 28 of 82 pCi/l.

• The air concentration of gaseous ¹³¹I in New York City on May 10-12, 1986, was measured at 23 mBq/m³.

Gebbie, K.M. and Paris, R.D. (1986). Chernobyl: Oregon's response. Radiation Control Section, Office of Environment and Health Systems, Health Division, Oregon Department of Human Resources, Portland, Oregon.
 

May 9 1986	Portland	Rain	Gross beta	481 pCi/l
May 5-10	Portland	Air activity	Gross beta	1.031 pCi/m3
May 11	Portland	Ground deposition	131I	9157 pCi/m2
May 11-12	Portland	Total air	131I	2.9 pCi/m3
May 12	Willamette Valley	Milk	131I	167 pCi/l
May 19	Willamette Valley	Milk	137Cs	97 pCi/l

• This is a more detailed report than that available from the state of Washington and provides excellent documentation of the relatively moderate impact of Chernobyl fallout in Oregon.

Bondietti, E.A., Brantley, J.N. and Rangarajan, C. (1988). Size distributions and growth of natural and Chernobyl-derived submicron aerosols in Tennessee. J. Environ. Radioactivity. 6. pg. 99-120.

• Carrier aerosols provide the key to the transport of volatile radioactive aerosols released during the Chernobyl accident. A linear growth rate of ~ 0.013 µm/day was observed in the lower troposphere after the median diameter had reached ~ 0.4 µm.
• Two pulses of Chernobyl-derived radioactivity were noted. The first arrived May 10, and a second peak on May 20-23 contained high levels of ¹⁰³Ru.
• The change in the fission product spectrum illustrated a second phase of the Chernobyl accident (May 5) in which much of the cesium was released.

• "...the Chernobyl reactor accident was first detected in air samples at Oak Ridge, Tennessee on 10 May 1986..... Two distinct phases in airborne radioactivity were evident in our measurements. The first phase lasted from 10 to 17 May and was characterized by a ¹³⁷Cs/¹⁰³Ru activity ratio of ~1.5, ...The second phase began on 18 May, when precipitation from a convective storm yielded much higher ¹⁰³Ru and ¹⁴⁰Ba activities, relative to ¹³⁷Cs, than previously found in air or precipitation." (pg. 313).

Vermont State Department of Health. Vermont state environmental radiation surveillance program. (1986). Division of Occupational and Radiological Health, Vermont State Department of Health, Montpelier, VT.
 

May 1986	Vermont	Air particulates	Gross beta	0.113 pCi/m3
May 1986	Vermont	Milk	131I	88 pCi/l
June 1986	Vermont	Fiddleheads	137Cs	328 pCi/kg
June 1986	Vermont	Fiddleheads	103Ru	261 pCi/kg
September 1986	Vermont	Wild boletus	137Cs	3,750 pCi/kg
September 1986	Vermont	Wild russla	137Cs	3,660 pCi/kg

• The EPA report number 46 (Environmental Radiation Data, EPA 520-5-8704) records ¹³¹I wet deposition as 12,300 pCi/m² and with rain containing 1,660 pCi/l on May 11 at Montpelier.
• Information detailing the extent of ground deposition of radiocesium is sorely lacking not only in Vermont but also in most U.S. reporting locations.

Pickett, B. (1987). DSHS activities relating to the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident. Department of Social and Health Services, Olympia, WA.
 

May 5, 1986	Spokane	Rainwater	131I	6,620 pCi/l
May 5, 1986	Redland	Milk	131I	560 pCi/l
May 5, 1986	Spokane	Gross beta	131I	2.2 pCi/l
May 5, 1986	E. Washington	Food	134,137Cs	1250 pCi/kg

• This report is far superior to the EPA quarterly reports in terms of the quality and clarity of the graphic representations, although containing much less data.

• This report contains limited data, some of which is included in the previous report.