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137Cs Contamination from Chernobyl of Soils in Piemonte (North-West Italy): Spatial Distribution and Deposition Model

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Abstract

137Caesium was measured in soils sampled from 101 locationsdistributed across the Piemonte Region (North-West of Italy). The contamination levels found ranged from a few kBq m-2 to about 60 kBq m-2, the regional average being of the order of 15 kBq m-2. The data obtained were interpolated with geostatistical functions in order to obtain a detailed mapof radioactive contamination for the whole region. A second map,representing the rainfall for the period of Chernobyl atmospheric contamination, weighted with the estimated values of air contamination, was produced.The comparison of the two maps and a statistical analysis of the data show that 84% of the 137Cs global inventory is due to wet deposition, associated with 9% pre-Chernobyl fallout and a 7% attributed to Chernobyl dry deposition.A deposition model based on a linear relationship betweenwet deposition (D w) and `weighted rainfall'(R w) isproposed, applied and tested with available data. On this basisthe following parameters were estimated: scavenging factor, washout ratio, cloud height, dry deposition velocity, mediandiameter of the particles.

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Correspondence to Aurelio Facchinelli.

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Facchinelli, A., Magnoni, M., Gallini, L. et al. 137Cs Contamination from Chernobyl of Soils in Piemonte (North-West Italy): Spatial Distribution and Deposition Model. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 134, 339–350 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014135717747

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