Spatial distribution 137CS in forest soils of Switzerland

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution air, and soil pollution, 1999-09, Vol.114 (3/4), p.277-285
• Main Authors: Riesen, T.K, Zimmermann, S, Blaser, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidents; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; cesium; Cesium radioisotopes; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Fallout; Forest ecosystems; Forest soils; Forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; geographical distribution; Nuclear accidents & safety; Nuclear power plants; Pollution; Pollution sources. Measurement results; Pollution, environment geology; Radioactive fallout; radionuclides; rain; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil pollution; Spatial distribution; Terrestrial ecosystems; Terrestrial environment, soil, air; topsoil
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1005045905690

In the framework of the second Swiss forest soil inventory, super(137)Cs-activity from 172 sites was measured systematically for the first time in the topmost soil layer (0-5 cm) and represented on a map. The spatial distribution of super(137)Cs contamination was similar to the pattern observed in 1986 from dose equivalent measurements following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. Forest soils from regions with high precipitation in 1986 showed a higher super(137)Cs activity than regions with low precipitation. At sites with high caesium activities it was possible to discriminate between super(137)Cs originating from global fallout of the fifties and sixties and super(137)Cs from the Chernobyl accident. The results indicate that radiocaesium persists in the top soil layers and is recycled in forest ecosystems.