title: Post-Chernobyl 137Cs in the atmosphere of Thessaloniki: a consequence of the financial crisis in Greece.
abstract: The background radiation level of (137)Cs at the urban atmosphere of Thessaloniki has been increased during the recent decade only due to the Fukushima accident fallout. Since then, no other signal of (137)Cs was observed until the winter period of 2013, when slightly elevated (137)Cs concentrations were measured. The (137)Cs signals observed were up to 12 μBq m(-3), mainly during holidays and weekends followed by lower or even non-detectable activities in the next working days. Those episodes are attributed to the increase of biomass products combustion for residential heating as this year the tax of oil for heating was drastically raised as a consequence of the financial crisis. A preliminary survey of various wood products as well as of bottom ashes from different domestic burning devices is presented. (137)Cs concentrations up to 11 Bq kg(-1) were measured in wood products and up to 500 Bq kg(-1) in ash samples.
authors: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Atomic & Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Thessaloniki 54124, Hellas, Greece.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Stoulos
authors: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Atomic & Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Thessaloniki 54124, Hellas, Greece.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ioannidou
authors: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Atomic & Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Thessaloniki 54124, Hellas, Greece.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Vagena
authors: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Atomic & Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Thessaloniki 54124, Hellas, Greece.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Koseoglou
authors: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Atomic & Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Thessaloniki 54124, Hellas, Greece. Electronic address: metaxia@auth.gr.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Manolopoulou
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D002586:Cesium / Q000032:analysis*; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D006115:Greece; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D012621:Seasons; D014934:Wood / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D002586:Cesium
keywords: (137)Cs in ash; (137)Cs in atmosphere; (137)Cs in wood; Biomass combustion; “Wood-to-ash” enrichment factor