title: Distribution of radionuclides in the environment in northern Italy after the Chernobyl accident.
abstract: Soon after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the air-pumping stations in Pavia (northern Italy) were alerted. In a few days, a rapid increase in radionuclide concentration in air particulates was observed. Consequently, an environmental radioactivity monitoring programme was started in which several matrices such as soil, grass, vegetables and cows' milk were subjected to direct gamma-ray spectrometry. The radioactivity distribution and its variation with time is presented, discussed and compared with other available data. Detection limits, precision and accuracy are also reported, and depth profiles in soils for 137Cs are presented and correlated with soil quality parameters. A survey of environmental radioactivity in soil, in a search for residual Chernobyl fallout, was carried out and a map of the 137Cs distribution over a large area in northern Italy is presented and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Energia Nucleare Applicata, Università di Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berzero
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Borroni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oddone
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Crespi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Genova
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meloni
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008892:Milk / Q000032:analysis*; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000032:analysis*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014455:Ukraine; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive