title: Self-help countermeasure strategies for populations living within contaminated areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
abstract: Countermeasures have been effectively employed within intensive agricultural systems in areas of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) affected by the Chernobyl accident. However, ingestion doses continue to be elevated in some areas as a result of few foodstuffs which are collected from the wild or produced by the household. Forest fungi and berries, and milk from privately owned cattle are the most notable contributors to 137Cs intakes amongst these foodstuffs. In this paper we consider advice which would help affected populations to both understand the importance of these exposure routes and to reduce their exposure. In addition to the potential radiological benefits, self-help schemes are highly cost-effective and likely to have a positive psychological influence on populations living within contaminated areas of the FSU. Evidence to suggest that the transfer of radiocaesium to cow milk is considerably higher in the FSU than within western Europe and North America is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Merlewood Research Station, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria LA11 6JU, UK. nab@ceh.ac.uk
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Beresford
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Voigt
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prister
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balonov
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ratnikov
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Travnikova
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Gillett
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mehli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Skuterud
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lepicard
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Semiochkina
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perepeliantnikova
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goncharova
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Arkhipov
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000193:education*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D003296:Cooking; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005523:Food Supply / Q000592:standards*; D005658:Fungi / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000592:standards; D011210:Power Plants; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D002094:Republic of Belarus; D012426:Russia; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014455:Ukraine
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive