Global fallout after the Chernobyl accident

The radionuclides released from the destroyed reactor bloc 4 in Chernobyl and the worldwide distribution as well as the regionally varying deposition are described. The deposition in various countries is contrasted and compared to the average population dose in these countries as evaluated by the UNSCEAR-Report 1988. As expected, much higher dose values per unit deposition result for more southerly countries than for northerly ones. The fallout from the Chernobyl accident is compared to the fallout from nuclear weapons testing, both with regard to the global fallout and the fallout in some selected countries. The radiation exposure in the first year is contrasted to natural background level and the trend of the radiation exposure in the following years is described. (Author)