Irradiation of the population of the West Slovakia region from 90Sr and 137CS in atmospheric fallout over the 1965-1988 period

The results of the survey show that as a consequence of the nuclear accident in Chernobyl, contamination of foodstuffs with radioactive substances in May 1986 caused additional irradiation of the population in West Slovakia which amounted to approximately 10-20% of the radiation burden from natural sources (cosmic radiation, radioactive substances present in the earth crust, in building materials, etc.). The mean radiation burden of the population was roughly 8 times higher in 1986 than in 1965 when tests of nuclear weapons were carried out in the atmosphere and when systematic monitoring of radioactivity in foodstuffs was implemented in West Slovakia. Contamination of the environment due to nuclear weapon tests reached its highest values in 1962-1963, when the radiation burden of the population was about 2-3 times higher than in 1965. During the plant operation, contamination of food in the locality of the Bohunice nuclear power plant was at the level of foodstuff contamination recorded at a reference site. (author). 3 figs., 8 tabs., 15 refs