RADIATION-DOSES IN SOUTHERN BYELORUSSIA FROM THE INHALATION OF SPECIFIC RADIONUCLIDES FOLLOWING THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT

The mean activity concentrations in air of Cs-137 and various actinide s were measured at the town of Bragin, southern Byelorussia, during th e period 28 April to the 15 May 1986. Over 99% of this measured activi ty was due to Cs-137. An assessment of the resulting radiation doses f rom inhalation is presented based on using an appropriate AMAD of 2 mu m for the inhaled particles. In order to present a more complete pictu re of inhalation doses the additional contributions from six other imp ortant radionuclides were estimated from release ratios. The likely ef fect of including the exposures over the first two days of the release was also investigated. The committed effective dose equivalent to adu lts is estimated to be 12-16 mSv. However, this estimate is somewhat s peculative and for a more reliable estimate of the doses received in s outhern Byelorussia more measurement data would have been desirable.