Restoration strategies for radioactive contaminated ecosystems (RESTORE). Mastering events of the past - Nuclear fission safety programme E.2: restoration of severely contaminated territories. Final report 1996 - 1999

The RESTORE project has focused on the development of an environmental decision support system (EDSS) applied to areas of the NIS contaminated by radioactive fallout based upon an understanding of such processes. It incorporates spatial variation in radioecological processes which can influence transfer of radionuclides via foodstuffs to man including soil type, ecosystem, food production systems and flooding, such factors are not considered in existing models. Special emphasis has been placed on the identification of key pathways using the knowledge incorporated into the EDSS and developing strategies whereby the dose via these pathways could be effectively reduced, in particular by enabling the population to understand and influence their own exposure. The main objectives of the project were: Identification of major pathways of radiation exposure, resulting from the Chernobyl accident, within different contaminated ecosystems within the NIS; Collation of spatial data to allow, using geographical information systems (GIS), the identification of areas with high radionuclide concentrations in foodstuffs, high fluxes of radionuclides or elevated doses; Development of practical and cost effective countermeasure strategies, targeted at key pathways, which will enable affected populations to understand and influence their own radiation exposures; Assessment of the potential importance of flooding for the redistribution and remobilization of radionuclides into food production systems; Application of this knowledge to develop an environmental decision support system (EDSS) providing a tool to identify vulnerable areas or groups and allow assessment of countermeasure strategies; Independently assess the radiological situation following nuclear weapons tests within the semipalatinsk test site (STS), Kazakhstan which was the most important nuclear weapons testing area within the USSR. (orig.)