¹³⁷Cs in the meat of wild boars

a comparison of the impacts of Chernobyl and Fukushima

authored by

Georg Steinhauser, Paul R.J. Saey

Abstract

The impact of Chernobyl on the ¹³⁷Cs activities found in wild boars in Europe, even in remote locations from the NPP, has been much greater than the impact of Fukushima on boars in Japan. Although there is great variability within the ¹³⁷Cs concentrations throughout the wild boar populations, some boars in southern Germany in recent years exhibit higher activity concentrations (up to 10,000 Bq/kg and higher) than the highest ¹³⁷Cs levels found in boars in the governmental food monitoring campaign (7900 Bq/kg) in Fukushima prefecture in Japan. The levels of radiocesium in boar appear to be more persistent than would be indicated by the constantly decreasing ¹³⁷Cs inventory observed in the soil which points to a food source that is highly retentive to ¹³⁷Cs contamination or to other radioecological anomalies that are not yet fully understood.

Organisation(s)

Centre for Radiation Protection and Radioecology

External Organisation(s)

Colorado State University
TU Wien (TUW)

Type

Article

Journal

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Volume

307

Pages

1801-1806

No. of pages

6

ISSN

0236-5731

Publication date

01.03.2016

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Analytical Chemistry, Nuclear Energy and Engineering, Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging, Pollution, Spectroscopy, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4417-6 (Access: Open)