137Cs levels in three control groups of Finnish people

Whole-body counter measurements of three different control groups are performed in order to monitor changes in radioactivity levels in Finnish people. The groups are from Helsinki and from the areas around the Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear power plants. The Helsinki group was measured with a scanning-type, four-crystal, whole-body counter in an iron room, and the Loviisa and Olkiluoto groups with a mobile, shadow-shield, whole-body counter. The mean value of the 137Cs/K ratio of the women and men in the Helsinki control group in 1978 was 26 pCi/g (0.96 Bq/g), which was somewhat higher than in 1977. The mean values of this ratio for the Loviisa and Olkiluoto control groups did not significantly differ from that of the Helsinki control group. (author)