CS-134 AND CS-137 WHOLE-BODY MEASUREMENTS AND INTERNAL DOSIMETRY OF THE POPULATION LIVING IN AREAS CONTAMINATED BY RADIOACTIVITY AFTER THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT

Six western districts of the Bryansk region, Russia, were heavily cont aminated with radioactive fallout after the Chernobyl NPP accident. An nually, between 1991 and 1994, inhabitants of four settlements were st udied. Whole-body Cs-134+137 contents were measured in about 500 inhab itants. No correlation between Cs whole-body content and Cs soil conta mination was found; Cs accumulation in a body depends greatly on natur al factors such as type of soil, on social factors such as food habits including consumption of forest products, and on countermeasures to r educe internal exposure. During 1991-1994 average whole-body content o f Cs-134+137 in, adult inhabitants was about 3-60 kBq, corresponding t o an effective dose of 0.1-2.4 mSv.y(-1). Cs whole-body content increa ses equally for girls and boys up to adult age. Cs content in adults d oes not depend significantly on age and is usually 1.2-2 times higher in men than in women. The average annual internal effective dose varie s with age significantly less than Cs-134+137 whole-body content. In c hildren (0-5 years) the mean absorbed dose is usually 1.2-1.5 times le ss than in adults.