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Traces of Fukushima fallout in the environment of Northwest Germany

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2012

J. Barescut ,
D. Lariviere ,
T. Stocki ,
H.W. Fischer ,
B. Hettwig  and
D. Pittauerová
H.W. Fischer
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany
B. Hettwig
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany
D. Pittauerová
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany
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Abstract

Traces of short- and long-lived fallout isotopes (131I, 134Cs and 137Cs) were found in environmental samples obtained in northwest Germany (river sediment, rainwater, grass and milk) from March to May 2011, following the radioactivity releases after the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan. The found concentration values are consistent with reported concentrations in air, amount of rainfall and expected values applying simple radioecological models. The [134Cs]/[137Cs] ratio reported for air (about 1:1) allows for discrimination between “recent” and “old” 137Cs. Expected 136Cs values fell below the detection limits of the instrumentation, despite large sample masses and long counting times.

Type
Research Article
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 46 , Issue 6: ICRER 2011 – International Conference on Radioecology & Environmental Radioactivity: Environment & Nuclear Renaissance , 2011 , pp. S181 - S185
Copyright
© Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2011

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