10 YEARS AFTER CHERNOBYL - RADIOACTIVITY IN BREAST-MILK SAMPLES FROM TYROL, TIBET AND NEPAL

10 years after the Chernobyl disaster gamma radioactivity from Cs-137 was determined in 53 breast milk samples from Tyrol, as well as 9 samp les from Tibet and 2 from Nepal by means of a gammaspectrometer with a germanium detector. In contrast to the values obtained within a few d ays, and again 1 year after the nuclear plant catastrophe, all samples from Tyrol showed gamma radioactivity levels (median 0.07 nCi/l; rang e 0.02-0.20 nCi/l) which were now below the limit laid down for baby f ood in Austria (0.3 nCi/l-11.1Bq). The samples from Tibet and Nepal re gistered a slightly higher level of gamma radioactivity (median 0.16 n Ci/l; range 0.16-0.41 nCi/l).