Current development of the human and environmental contamination in the Bryansk-Gomel Spot after the Chernobyl accident

Up to 1991, it was assumed that after the Chernobyl accident in 1986 the ti me development of radioactive contamination with regard to environment, foo dstuff, and man would decrease due to migration processes in the soil, radi oactive decay, and protective measures. This assumption was confirmed by al l measurements in the first few years after the accident. Since 1991, howev er, a change in this development has been observed, as many measurements sh ow stagnation or in some cases even an increase of foodstuff and human cont amination. If normalised to an average local ground contamination, only a f ew groups of foodstuffs (e.g., potatoes) show a slight decrease in radioact ivity. In this paper, the time development of radioactive contamination in the Bryansk-Gomel Spot on the basis of measurements since 1991 is presented . The consequences for long-term dose assessment are discussed.