Modeling of Cs-137 Cycling in Forests - Recent Developments and Research Needed

Myttenaere, C.;Schell, WR.;Thiry, Y.;Sombre, L.;Deschrieck, JV.;et.al.
(1993) Science of the Total Environment — Vol. 136, n° 1-2, p. 77-91 (1993)

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Authors
  • Myttenaere, C.
    Author
  • Schell, WR.
    Author
  • Thiry, Y.
    Author
  • Sombre, L.
    Author
  • Ronneau, ClaudeUCLouvain
    Author
  • Deschrieck, JV.
    Author
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Abstract
After the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident in April 1986, Cs-137 was found to be one of the most abundant radionuclides released and the forest ecosystem was one of the most contaminated environments. Long-term management of the forests to minimize the radiation dose to man requires understanding of the cycles of the Cs-137 and the other radionuclides which were also deposited. Thus, the health physicists responsible for remediation programs in the contaminated zones must have information on the long-term behaviour of the deposited radioactivity. The similarity between the chemical properties of Cs and K and the fact that K has been studied previously as a nutrient in forest productivity may provide an analogue to evaluate the long-term mechanism of the deposited radioactivity. One of the goals of this study is to describe the global cycle of K in forests related to the Cs-137 contaminant. The first results of an experimental program to measure the deposition of Cs-137 in the several forest compartments is presented, together with the complementary K results. These data provide information which is necessary to construct a useable model describing the Cs-137-transfer after atmospheric contamination of a woodland ecosystem.
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Citations

Myttenaere, C., Schell, WR., Thiry, Y., Sombre, L., Ronneau, C., & Deschrieck, JV. (1993). Modeling of Cs-137 Cycling in Forests - Recent Developments and Research Needed. Science of the Total Environment, 136(1-2), 77-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-9697(93)90298-K (Original work published 1993)