Evaluation of the Relationship between Current Internal 137Cs Exposure in Residents and Soil Contamination West of Chernobyl in Northern Ukraine

Abstract

After the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, the residents living around the Chernobyl were revealed to have been internally exposed to 137Cs through the intake of contaminated local foods. To evaluate the current situation of internal 137Cs exposure and the relationship between the 137Cs soil contamination and internal exposure in residents, we investigated the 137Cs body burden in residents who were living in 10 selected cities from the northern part of the Zhitomir region, Ukraine, and collected soil samples from three family farms and wild forests of each city to measured 137Cs concentrations. The total number of study participants was 36,862, of which 68.9% of them were female. After 2010, the annual effective doses were less than 0.1 mSv in over 90% of the residents. The 137Cs body burden was significantly higher in autumn than other seasons (p < 0.001) and in residents living in more contaminated areas (p < 0.001). We also found a significant correlation between the proportion of residents in each city with an estimated annual exposure dose exceeding 0.1 mSv and 137Cs concentration of soil samples from family farms (r = 0.828, p = 0.003). In conclusion, more than 25 years after the Chernobyl accident, the internal exposure doses to residents living in contaminated areas of northern Ukraine is limited but still related to 137Cs soil contamination. Furthermore, the consumption of local foods is considered to be the cause of internal exposure.

Characteristics and Prognosis of the Internal Exposure Doses of the Ukrainian Polissya Rural Population in the Remote Period After the Accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (Monitoring Study)

“…That is why the internal exposure dose of the region inhabitants, calculated on the WBC measurements results, is traditionally high er in autumn rather than spring ( Fig. 1), which is con firmed by the data of other researchers [14][15][16][17].…”

“…Саме тому доза внутрішнього оп ромінення мешканців регіону традиційно більша восени, ніж навесні (рис. 1), що підтверджують дані дослідників [14][15][16][17].…”

Serum Metabolomic Alterations Associated with Cesium-137 Internal Emitter Delivered in Various Dose Rates

“…Nuclear plant disasters (Chernobyl, Fukushima-Daiichi) and the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in addition to extensive worldwide nuclear testing, released a high degree of radionuclides (e.g., 137 Cs, 90 Sr) in the surrounding areas. The fallout from these events, as well as future events, subsequently entered the food chain and water supplies, continuing the energy deposition and increasing the accumulated radiation doses received by a large number of individuals [ 1 , 2 ]. Such exposures may also be accidental [ 3 ] or intentional [ 4 ], as nuclear improvised devices and radiological dispersal devices remain elevated concerns for terrorist actions.…”

Estimated association between dwelling soil contamination and internal radiation contamination levels after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan

“…Residents living in Zone II (555–1480 kBq/m 2 ) have higher levels of internal contamination than those living in Zone III or Zone IV (185–555 kBq/m 2 and 37–555 kBq/m 2 , respectively) and these conditions have persisted even 25 years after the disaster. 9 …”