A GIS-based environmental decision support system to assess the transfer of long-lived radiocaesium through food chains in areas contaminated by the Chernobyl accident

As part of the EC-financed RESTORE project ('Restoration of radioactively c ontaminated ecosystems'), an operational, user-friendly GIS-based Environme ntal Decision Support System ( EDSS) has been developed. The RESTORE EDSS c omprises a GIS-embedded modelling tool to assess the transfer of radiocaesi um via food chains and external radiation exposures to humans based on an u nderstanding of the nature of contamination, geo-chemical, hydrological, an d biological processes, the different pathways for radiocaesium, and human behaviour. The EDSS accounts for spatial and temporal variation of these fa ctors and is applicable to a variety of ecosystems. The overall aim of the EDSS is to identify vulnerable areas in terms of enhanced radionuclide tran sfer into food chains and/or the presence of 'critical population groups' t hat suffer enhanced internal and/or external exposure to radionuclides. The refore, it provides information to support decisions about where to impleme nt countermeasures and where to restore contaminated land most effectively. Predictions made by the EDSS use maps of soil contamination, soil type, an d land use, production and production rates, and consumption habits of the affected population. The EDSS is illustrated by an analysis of the entire c ontaminated area of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.