CONTRIBUTON OF DIFFERENT FOODSTUFFS TО THE INTERNAL EXPOSURE OF THE RURAL INHABITANTS OF THE BRYANSK REGION IN RUSSIA AFTER THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT

In a large village Veprin of the Bryanskregion of Russiacontaminated with radionuclides as a result of the Chernobylaccident, ¹³⁷Сs concentration in food products of agricultural produce and natural origin was regularly measured, local inhabitants were polled on the composition of their food ration, and ¹³⁷Сs content in their bodies was at the same time measured. These results were used as the basis for calculation of annual effective doses of internal exposure to inhabitants and for reconstruction of the dose during the entire period after the accident. It will be divided into two stages: 1986–1996 yy and 1997–2012 yy. In this paper devoted to the first period (1986–1996), internal dose was reconstructed for 11 years after the accident, and the efficiency of countermeasures performed for reduction of the internal dose was assessed. The internal dose to inhabitants during the past 11 years after the accident was shown to be reduced almost twice, namely down to 35 mSv instead of the expected 70 mSv. The dose of external gamma radiation during the same time period is close to the obtained dose of internal exposure. The presence of peat and water-meadow soils in the vicinity of this village that are characterised by high transfer factors for radionuclides from soil to vegetation causes high contribution of internal exposure in the total dose of population exposure. Contribution of natural products to the internal dose grew from 6% in 1987 up to 25% in 1996. Individual content of ¹³⁷Сs in the body of inhabitants reliably correlates with the consumption of milk in the early period after the accident and with consumption of forest mushrooms in the remote period.

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