Chernobyl fallout in the uppermost (0-3 cm) humus layer in forest soil in Finland, north-east Russia and in the Baltic countries in 2000 -2003Aim of the studyThe aim of the extensive Barents Ecogeochemistry Project, carried out in 2000-2001, was to produce geochemical baseline data from surficial deposits such as stream water, organic and minerogenic soil and vegetation. This was done before further exploitation of natural gas and oil resources in the Barents Region. The aims of this study were to analyse the 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations Bq/kg d.w. in humus layer samples, and to produce an inventory of the 137Cs Bq/m2 in order to be able to compare the fallout situation in 1987 to that in 2000-2001 in Finland and NW Russia, and in 2003 in the Baltic countries. ImplementationThe part of the samples representing the uppermost (0-3 cm) humus layer in NW Russian and Finland were delivered to the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority -STUK for measurements of nuclides emitting γ-radiation. In order to produce a rough estimation of the 137Cs inventory per square meter from the Finnish and Russian samples, organic matter content, i.e. loss on ignition (LOI) was analysed. The 150 samples taken at 180 Baltic sampling locations were compared to the total mass of 151 organic matters in the samples. The datasets of the 137Cs concentrations in the 0-3 cm humus layer in the Barents Ecogeochemistry Project area were classified on the basis of the “European map of caesium-137 deposition”, prepared by the European Union in 1987. The classified areas were digitized using the MapInfo mapping software and the samples were grouped according to their geo-reference information. Four groups were formed and the results were normalised so that the distribution of the 137Cs concentrations could be presented for each class. Dissemination and exploitation of the resultsThe results will be published in a scientific publication in 2008. CollaboratorsGeological Survey of Finland Timetable2007 - 2008 Responsible scientistJarkko Ylipieti Page updated 06/06/2009
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