Monitoring of Aerosol and Fallout Radioactivity in Belgrade After the Fukushima Reactors Accident

Abstract

After the accident in Fukushima reactors, a daily monitoring programme was initiated in two laboratories in Belgrade, one at the Vin Institute for Nuclear Sciences and the other at Institute for Occupational Health Karajovic. Samples of aerosol and fallout, as well as the random samples of food and water, were collected and analysed, using gross alpha/beta and gamma spectrometry, in order to establish the presence of traces of isotopes indicating Fukushima fallout. Gamma spectrometry measurement of these samples showed clear evidence of fission products 131I, 134Cs and 137Cs within 2 weeks after the accident. The activity diminished with time due to dispersion in air and, in case of 131I, short half-life. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]