Radioecological aspects of soil pollution in small catchments

The Cs-137 content and vertical distribution in the soils of two small catc hments with different topography were studied. It was found that a high rat e of modern sediment deposition (1-2 cm/year) in the bottoms and some parts of slopes leads to active burying of soil horizons contaminated with Chern obyl-derived radionuclides. Thus, contrary to popular belief, the role of s trongly polluted horizons of meadow-chernozemic soils in the zones of sedim ent accumulation as the sources of external irradiation steadily decreases.