Radioactive contamination of Kiev vacationers after the Chernobyl accident. Biological half-life of Cs

Two young women vacationing in Kiev just after the Chernobyl accident received light radioactive contamination in and on their bodies, and on their clothing. The internal and external body contaminations were determined using a whole body counter and a pure germanium detector on two dates, 80 days apart. The total body activity that could not be diminished by washing corresponded to 50 kBq at the time of contamination. Important internal radionuclides were 131I, 137Cs, and 134Cs causing a committed effective dose equivalent of 0.4 mSv. The biological half-life of Cs was 60 days. In the clothing 16 different radionuclides, including 239Np, were found at various levels of activity. (author)