Measurements of the Research Centre Seibersdorf with regard to the reactor accident at Chernobyl

In connexion with the reactor accident at Chernobyl the measurement of the activity concentration in food was alloted to several institutions in Austria. According to its capacities the Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf had to take the major share. Samples of food and other relevant items from three of the nine provinces and to some degree also from other provinces were measured in the Research Centre. Up to 600 samples daily were evaluated which sometimes required shift operation on the six semiconductor measuring devices employed. The large number of samples enables a fairly good estimate of the dose to the Austrian population due to this accident. The radiation dose in the first year in addition to the natural background dose will on the average amount to: 0,13 mSv external dose; 0,05 mSv inhalation dose (effective dose equivalent); 0,7 mSv ingestion dose (effective dose equivalent). This corresponds to approximately 1/3 of the annual dose due to natural background radiation in Austria. 4 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs. (Author)