A new method to account for the depth distribution of 137Cs in soils in the calculation of external radiation dose-rate

• Published in: Journal of environmental radioactivity Vol. 72; no. 3; pp. 323 - 334
• Main Authors: Timms, D.N., Smith, J.T., Cross, M.A., Kudelsky, A.V., Horton, G., Mortlock, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: 137Cs; ADE equation; Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Belarus; Biological and medical sciences; Biological effects of radiation; Cesium Radioisotopes - analysis; Chernobyl; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Forecasting; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gamma; Pollution; Power Plants; Radiation dose; Radioactive Fallout - analysis; Radioactive Hazard Release; Radioactivity; Radiocaesium; Radiocontamination; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics; Ukraine; Belarus; Eastern Europe; Europe; Ukraine; Chernobyl; Gamma; Radiation dose; ADE equation; Belarus; Radiocaesium; 137Cs; Cesium 137; Radioactive pollution; Radioactive contamination; Advection diffusion equation; Radioisotope; Health and environment; Depth profile; Air pollution; Dosimetry; Computing method; Public health; Altitudinal distribution
• ISSN: 0265-931X; 1879-1700
• DOI: 10.1016/S0265-931X(03)00219-4

This work reports a new method for calculating the external dose-rate as a function of height above land that has been contaminated with a surface deposition of
137Cs. Unlike previous work this method accounts for vertical migration of
137Cs using the Advection Dispersion Equation (ADE) with appropriate parameters. The results have been successfully verified with field measurements from the
137Cs contaminated regions within the Republic of Belarus. The method also correctly predicts the observed variation of dose-rate with elevation above the soil surface and it is shown how this method can be used to predict the reduction in surface dose-rate after remediation measures such as deep ploughing have taken place.