Cite this dataset as
Beresford, N.A., Gaschak, S., Barnett, C.L., Maksimenko, A., Guliaichenko, E., Wells, C., Chaplow, J.S. (2018). A 'Reference Site' in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: radionuclide and stable element data, and estimated dose rates. NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. (Dataset). https://doi.org/10.5285/ae02f4e8-9486-4b47-93ef-e49dd9ddecd4
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This dataset is made available under the terms of the Open Government Licence 
A 'Reference Site' in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: radionuclide and stable element data, and estimated dose rates
Data comprise radionuclide activity concentrations, stable element concentrations and both radionuclide and stable element concentration ratios for vegetation and wildlife samples collected in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) in 2014. Estimated absorbed dose rates for wildlife in the CEZ are also presented.
Samples of soil, wild grass, earthworms, bees and other insects, small mammals, pine trees and frogs were collected in May and June 2014; frogspawn was collected in April 2015. Data were used to assess the uptake of radionuclides by wildlife living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) and also absorbed dose rates.
The isotopes measured were: Americium-241, Caesium-137, Plutonium-238, -239 and -240, Strontium-90 (K-40 and U-238 activity concentrations were estimated from stable element data).
Funding for this work was via the TREE project funded by the NERC, Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd. under the RATE programme.
Samples of soil, wild grass, earthworms, bees and other insects, small mammals, pine trees and frogs were collected in May and June 2014; frogspawn was collected in April 2015. Data were used to assess the uptake of radionuclides by wildlife living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) and also absorbed dose rates.
The isotopes measured were: Americium-241, Caesium-137, Plutonium-238, -239 and -240, Strontium-90 (K-40 and U-238 activity concentrations were estimated from stable element data).
Funding for this work was via the TREE project funded by the NERC, Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd. under the RATE programme.
Publication date: 2018-02-20
View record as
Format
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Spatial information
- Study area
-
- Spatial representation type
- Tabular (text)
- Spatial reference system
- WGS 84
Temporal information
- Temporal extent
-
2005-07-01 to 2015-06-30
Provenance & quality
The sampling site (0.4 km2) was located towards the western edge of the Red Forest, approximately 5 km west-southwest of the Chernobyl Unit Number 4). The site was not within the area where pine trees were killed by high exposure levels in 1986. Most of the site was formerly used as kitchen gardens ('dacha') by the residents of Pripyat. With the exception of Pinus sylvestris, all samples were collected from an area of the former kitchen gardens with a number of fruit trees which was about 0.06 km2 in area; this is subsequently referred to as the 'inner sampling area'. The predominant soil type of the sampling site was soddy-podzolic sandy loam and the surrounding habitats were largely deciduous woodland (some of which was previously agricultural land) and marsh.
All samples were collected over a period of about 1 month in May/June 2014. Although sampling was focussed on species falling into the ICRP RAP definitions (after Barnett et al. 2014), additional species caught were analysed for 90Sr and 137Cs activity concentrations.
Sample types include wild grass, pine tree, earthworm, bee and other insects, small mammals (mice, vole, doormouse, shrew), amphibians and soil.
All samples were collected over a period of about 1 month in May/June 2014. Although sampling was focussed on species falling into the ICRP RAP definitions (after Barnett et al. 2014), additional species caught were analysed for 90Sr and 137Cs activity concentrations.
Sample types include wild grass, pine tree, earthworm, bee and other insects, small mammals (mice, vole, doormouse, shrew), amphibians and soil.
Related
This dataset is included in the following collections
Citations
Beresford, N. A., Gaschak, S., Maksimenko, A., & Wood, M. D. (2016). The transfer of 137 Cs, Pu isotopes and 90 Sr to bird, bat and ground-dwelling small mammal species within the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 153, 231-236 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.12.027
Beresford, N. A., Gaschak, S., Barnett, C. L., Howard, B. J., Chizhevsky, I., Strømman, G., … Copplestone, D. (2008). Estimating the exposure of small mammals at three sites within the Chernobyl exclusion zone – a test application of the ERICA Tool. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 99(9), 1496-1502 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.03.002
Barnett, C.L., Beresford, N.A., Wood, M.D., Izquierdo, M., Walker, L.A., & Fawkes, R. (2020). Element and radionuclide concentrations in soils and wildlife from forests in north-eastern England with a focus on species representative of the ICRP’s Reference Animals and Plants. Earth System Science Data, 12(4), 3021-3038. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3021-2020
Supplemental information
TRansfer - Exposure - Effects (TREE)
Radioactivity & the Environment (RATE)
Correspondence/contact details
Authors
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8722-0238
Gaschak, S.
Chernobyl Centre for Nuclear Safety
Barnett, C.L.
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Maksimenko, A.
Chernobyl Centre for Nuclear Safety
Guliaichenko, E.
Wells, C.
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Other contacts
- Rights holder
-
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
- Custodian
-
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centreinfo@eidc.ac.uk
- Publisher
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NERC Environmental Information Data Centreinfo@eidc.ac.uk
Additional metadata
- Topic categories
- environment
- INSPIRE theme
- Environmental Monitoring Facilities
- Keywords
- americium , caesium , Chernobyl exclusion zone (CEZ) , Chornobyl , Environmental survey , ICRP , NERC RATE TREE project , plutonium , Pollution , Radioactivity And The Environment (RATE) , Radioecology , Reference animals and plant , Soil , stable element , strontium , TRansfer - Exposure – Effects (TREE) , Ukraine
- Last updated
- 12 March 2024 11:42