REMOVAL OF RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT FROM SURFACE OF SOIL AND GRASSED SURFACES USING PEELABLE COATINGS

In the wake of the Chernobyl accident it was found that the greatest c ontribution to the dose rate in the urban environment came from isotop es of radiocaesium deposited in open areas such as gardens and parks. Without intervention, the contamination would remain on or close to th e soil surface for many decades. The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of peelable coatings as a meaning for removing the contamination was investigated. From small-scale tests it was found that peelable coatin gs based on polyvinyl alcohol and lignin were effective and inexpensiv e, both removing more than 90% of the contamination from dry soil.