Contaminations of the terrestrial gastropods Helix aspersa maxima by direct deposition or labelled food ingestion of 137Cs, 85Sr, 133Ba and 123mTe were carried out under laboratory conditions. The aim of this study was to compare the two contamination pathways: direct and trophic, in terms of individual mortality and radionuclide uptake, depuration and tissular distribution. A first group of 30 snails (2-years old) was exposed to radioactive aerosols during a twenty-hour period. These aerosols were assumed to be representative of those that would be released during a nuclear accident occurring in a PWR. A second group of 40 snails (same age) was submitted to an ingestion of food contaminated by the same aerosols, twice-a-week for 10 days (flour at a feeding rate of about 0.2g). During the 21 day-observation period, a comparison between the two groups and the reference group (not contaminated by radionuclides) was performed. No significant difference between the three groups was observed in the growth or in the mortality. One day after deposition, cesium was the most bioavailable element, distributed rather homogeneously through the whole body (from 13 to 28% of the total Cs in organs other than the digestive system and the muscle, respectively). Strontium accumulated in the shell (about 70%). Barium was found in the muscle (20%) and the shell (65%). Tellurium was mainly present in the shell (70%) and in the digestive system (20%). After a few days, this element was mostly present in the faeces. As regards contamination by ingestion, it was mainly accumulated in the digestive system.