Comparison of contamination patterns in farm produce and natural foodstuffs by 137Cs for 3 years after the Chernobyl accident

COMPARISON OF CONTAMINATION PATTERNS IN FARM PRODUCES AND NATURAL FOODSTUFFS BY ¹³⁷Cs FOR 3 YEARS AFTER THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER.

FARM PRODUCE	NATURAL FOODSTUFFS
Contamination of GREEN VEGETABLES was initially very high, but decreased rapidly.	Contamination of FOREST BERRIES was initially very high, but fell steadily.
Contamination of MILK and MEAT declined a lot overall, but followed the same pattern as outdoor grazing- highest in spring and summer, lower in autumn and winter.	Contamination of fish in lakes and rivers fell with time. However, contamination was highest in the summer when low water levels caused a build up of ¹³⁷Cs.
Contamination of POTATOES and ROOT VEGETABLES was very low, as most of the Cs remained in the top few centimetres of soil.	Contamination of MUSHROOMS increased with time. This is because they take minerals from soil which was not much contaminated at first.