Improvement of practical countermeasures: the urban environment post-Chernobyl action

This study of practical countermeasures against nuclear contamination of the urban environment in the aftermath of a nuclear accident concentrates almost entirely on radio-caesium, which would be expected to pose the greatest threat to the population in the medium and long term. Surfaces which selectively absorb caesium fall-out were identified, and the chemical and physical factors relevant to take-up of caesium by, and removal of caesium from, these surfaces were studied. The study includes a critical review of strategies for decontamination and reclamation of the urban environment. The work in this report was sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities as one of a series of post-Chernobyl actions under its radiation protection programme