Cesium-137 and strontium-90 contamination of water bodies in the areas affected by releases from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident: an overview

Results of observations on the contamination of the Ukrainian, Byelorussian and Russian Federation rivers, the Dnieper reservoir chain, the Dnieper estuary and the Black, Baltic and Azov Seas by cesium-137 and strontium-90 after the Chernobyl accident, carried out in 1986-1991 by the Institutions of the USSR State Committee for Hydrometeorology, are presented and discussed. The dynamics of contamination levels and radionuclide removal into the Kiev reservoir are studied. It is shown that the primary sources (over 90%) of cesium-137 and strontium-90 fluxes into the Kiev reservoir are the Pripyat and Dnieper Rivers. (Author)