Spatial datasets of radionuclide contamination in the Ukrainian Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Cite this dataset as:
Kashparov, V.; Levchuk, S.; Zhurba, M.; Protsak, V.; Khomutinin, Yu.; Beresford, N.A.; Chaplow, J.S. (2017). Spatial datasets of radionuclide contamination in the Ukrainian Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/782ec845-2135-4698-8881-b38823e533bf
Download/Access
PLEASE NOTE: By accessing or using this dataset, you agree to the terms of the relevant licence agreement(s). You will ensure that this dataset is cited in any publication that describes research in which the data have been used.
This dataset is made available under the terms of the Open Government Licence 
https://doi.org/10.5285/782ec845-2135-4698-8881-b38823e533bf
Data comprise radionuclide deposition, radioactivity dose measurements, radioactive particle activity and physical characteristic information from soil samples collected within and around the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) following the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.
Data include radiocaesium, radiostrontium and soil chemistry parameters from soils collected in 1997, plutonium isotope measurements in soil samples and soil layers collected in 2000 and 2001, 'Hot particle' dataset presenting radionuclide activity and some physical characteristics of 'hot particles' extracted from soils collected in the Ukraine and Poland between 1995 and 1997; and Ivankov region data (radionuclide activity concentrations and natural background dose measurements) from a survey of the Ivankov region, immediately to the south of the CEZ conducted in 2014.
Funding for preparing this data set was provided by the EU COMET project (http://www.radioecology-exchange.org/content/comet) and TREE (http://www.ceh.ac.uk/tree) project funded by the NERC, Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd. under the RATE programme.
Data include radiocaesium, radiostrontium and soil chemistry parameters from soils collected in 1997, plutonium isotope measurements in soil samples and soil layers collected in 2000 and 2001, 'Hot particle' dataset presenting radionuclide activity and some physical characteristics of 'hot particles' extracted from soils collected in the Ukraine and Poland between 1995 and 1997; and Ivankov region data (radionuclide activity concentrations and natural background dose measurements) from a survey of the Ivankov region, immediately to the south of the CEZ conducted in 2014.
Funding for preparing this data set was provided by the EU COMET project (http://www.radioecology-exchange.org/content/comet) and TREE (http://www.ceh.ac.uk/tree) project funded by the NERC, Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd. under the RATE programme.
Publication date: 2017-07-24
View numbers valid from 01 June 2023 Download numbers valid from 20 June 2024 (information prior to this was not collected)
Format
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Spatial information
Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84
Temporal information
Temporal extent
1986-04-26 to 2014-12-31
Provenance & quality
Soil samples were dried, sieved (1 mm sieve) and homogenized. Sub-samples were taken from each sample for the determination of the total contents of radionuclides:
Gamma spectrometry measurements were performed using HPGe-detectors, of 30 % relative efficiency and 1.90 keV FWHM for 1333 keV (GEM-30185, EG&G ORTEC, USA) and a multichannel analyser (ADCAM-300, ORTEC, USA) using GammaVision32 software. The efficiency calibration was carried out for the 1 L Marinelli geometry using a spiked soil sample containing 241Am, 243Am, 152Eu, 154Eu, 137Cs, 40K. The average counting time was about 1 hour; for samples of lower activity the counting time was extended to obtain an acceptable error on the measurement (<30 % at 95th percentile confidence interval).
The activity of 90Sr was determined using a radiochemical method with treatment of the samples by boiling in 6M nitric acid for four hours.
Standard methods were used to determine organic matter content (GOST 26213-91), pHH2O (GOST 26423-85), pHKcl (GOST 26483-85), hydrolytic acidity (determined using the Kappen method (GOST 26212-91)), exchangeable Ca (GOST 26487-85), exchangeable K and P contents were determined using a method appropriate to the specific soil type (GOST 26207-91, GOST26204-91).
Gamma spectrometry measurements were performed using HPGe-detectors, of 30 % relative efficiency and 1.90 keV FWHM for 1333 keV (GEM-30185, EG&G ORTEC, USA) and a multichannel analyser (ADCAM-300, ORTEC, USA) using GammaVision32 software. The efficiency calibration was carried out for the 1 L Marinelli geometry using a spiked soil sample containing 241Am, 243Am, 152Eu, 154Eu, 137Cs, 40K. The average counting time was about 1 hour; for samples of lower activity the counting time was extended to obtain an acceptable error on the measurement (<30 % at 95th percentile confidence interval).
The activity of 90Sr was determined using a radiochemical method with treatment of the samples by boiling in 6M nitric acid for four hours.
Standard methods were used to determine organic matter content (GOST 26213-91), pHH2O (GOST 26423-85), pHKcl (GOST 26483-85), hydrolytic acidity (determined using the Kappen method (GOST 26212-91)), exchangeable Ca (GOST 26487-85), exchangeable K and P contents were determined using a method appropriate to the specific soil type (GOST 26207-91, GOST26204-91).
Licensing and constraints
This dataset is made available under the terms of the Open Government Licence
Cite this dataset as:
Kashparov, V.; Levchuk, S.; Zhurba, M.; Protsak, V.; Khomutinin, Yu.; Beresford, N.A.; Chaplow, J.S. (2017). Spatial datasets of radionuclide contamination in the Ukrainian Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/782ec845-2135-4698-8881-b38823e533bf
© Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
Related
This dataset is included in the following collections
Citations
Kashparov, V., Levchuk, S., Zhurba, M., Protsak, V., Khomutinin, Y., Beresford, N.A., & Chaplow, J.S. (2018). Spatial datasets of radionuclide contamination in the Ukrainian Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Earth System Science Data, 10(1), 339–353. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-339-2018
Kashparov, V., Levchuk, S., Zhurba, M., Protsak, V., Beresford, N.A., & Chaplow, J.S. (2020). Spatial radionuclide deposition data from the 60 km radial area around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant: results from a sampling survey in 1987. Earth System Science Data, 12(3), 1861–1875 https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-1861-2020
Beaugelin-Seiller, K., Garnier-Laplace, J., Della-Vedova, C., Métivier, J.-M., Lepage, H., Mousseau, T.A., & Møller, A.P. (2020). Dose reconstruction supports the interpretation of decreased abundance of mammals in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Scientific Reports, 10(1) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-70699-3
Beresford, N.A., Barnett, C.L., Gashchak, S., Maksimenko, A., Guliaichenko, E., Wood, M.D., & Izquierdo, M. (2020). Radionuclide transfer to wildlife at a ‘Reference site’ in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and resultant radiation exposures. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 211, 105661 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.02.007
Schofield, P.N., Kulka, U., Tapio, S., Woloschak, G., Gruenberger, M., Saigusa, S., Birschwilks, M., & Grosche, B. (2022). Data and Biomaterial Archives in Radioecology and Radiobiology; the Importance of STOREing. Biomarkers of Radiation in the Environment, 53-65 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2101-9_4
Ruban, Y.V., Shavanova, K.E., Samofalova, D.O., Nikonov, S.B. & Pareniuk, O.Y. (2020) Comparison of microbiomes of two different ecotypes of the Chornobyl exclusion zone: points of temporary localization of radioactive waste (PTLRW) and contaminated ecosystem. Bulletin of Problems Biology and Medicine 3, 83 https://doi.org/10.29254/2077-4214-2020-3-157-83-88
Evangeliou, N. & Eckhardt, S. (2020) Uncovering transport, deposition and impact of radionuclides released after the early spring 2020 wildfires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Scientific Reports 10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67620-3
Bilous, A., Holiaka, D., Matsala, M., Kashparov, V., Schepaschenko, D., Lakyda, P., Shvidenko, A., Myroniuk, V. & Otreshko, L. (2020) 90Sr Content in the Stemwood of Forests within Ukrainian Polissya. Forests 11, 270. https://doi.org/10.3390/f11030270
Supplemental information
Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology is a division of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine.
Integrating the science needed to underpin radioactivity assessments for humans and wildlife.
Correspondence/contact details
Jacky Chaplow
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg
Lancaster
Lancashire
LA1 4AP
UNITED KINGDOM
enquiries@ceh.ac.uk
Lancaster
Lancashire
LA1 4AP
UNITED KINGDOM
Authors
Kashparov, V.
Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and CERAD CoE Environmental Radioactivity/Department of Environmental Sciences
Levchuk, S.
Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
Zhurba, M.
Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
Protsak, V.
Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
Khomutinin, Yu.
Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8722-0238 Other contacts
Custodian
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
info@eidc.ac.uk
Publisher
NERC Environmental Information Data Centre
info@eidc.ac.uk
Additional metadata
Keywords
Last updated
04 February 2025 11:42