Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/7408
Appears in Collections:Biological and Environmental Sciences Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: Estimating the exposure of small mammals at three sites within the Chernobyl exclusion zone - a test application of the ERICA Tool
Author(s): Beresford, Nicholas A
Gashchak, Sergey
Barnett, Catherine L
Howard, Brenda J
Chizhevsky, Igor
Stromman, Gjermund
Oughton, Deborah
Wright, Simon M
Maksimenko, Andrey
Copplestone, David
Contact Email: david.copplestone@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: thermoluminescent dosimeter
external dose rate
ERICA
plutonium
caesium
strontium
small mammals
chernobyl
Issue Date: Sep-2008
Date Deposited: 10-Aug-2012
Citation: Beresford NA, Gashchak S, Barnett CL, Howard BJ, Chizhevsky I, Stromman G, Oughton D, Wright SM, Maksimenko A & Copplestone D (2008) Estimating the exposure of small mammals at three sites within the Chernobyl exclusion zone - a test application of the ERICA Tool. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 99 (9), pp. 1496-1502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.03.002
Abstract: An essential step in the development of any modelling tool is the validation of its predictions. This paper describes a study conducted within the Chernobyl exclusion zone to acquire data to conduct an independent test of the predictions of the ERICA Tool which is designed for use in assessments of radiological risk to the environment. Small mammals were repeatedly trapped at three woodland sites between early July and mid-August 2005. Thermoluminescent dosimeters mounted on collars were fitted to Apodemus flavicollis, Clethrionomys glareolus and Microtus spp. to provide measurements of external dose rate. A total of 85 TLDs were recovered. All animals from which TLDs were recovered were live-monitored to determine 90Sr and 137Cs whole-body activity concentrations. A limited number of animals were also analysed to determine 239,240Pu activity concentrations. Measurements of whole-body activity concentrations and dose rates recorded by the TLDs were compared to predictions of the ERICA-Tool. The predicted 90Sr and 137Cs mean activity concentrations were within an order of magnitude of the observed data means. Whilst there was some variation between sites in the agreement between measurements and predictions this was consistent with what would be expected from the differences in soil types at the sites. Given the uncertainties of conducting a study such as this, the agreement observed between the TLD results and the predicted external dose rates gives confidence to the predictions of the ERICA Tool.
DOI Link: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.03.002
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