Radionuclide migration into the geological environment and biota after the Chernobyl accident

In this paper, we consider the-principal migration pathways of radionuclides from the Chernobyl-accident in and through nearby terrestrial landscapes. Specifically, we study terrestrial ecosystems and the geological environment, taking into account the influence of critical (anomalous) landscapes on these processes. We show that migration activity of radionuclides is maximal in these landscapes. We determined that the following factors (in diminishing order) affect the migration of radionuclides: the geological environment, vegetation, superficial drainage, and wind resuspension. Downward radionuclide migration paths play the main role in the multilayer system of water-bearing horizon contamination. According to balance estimates, about 2,600 Ci of Cs-137 and Sr-90 have come into the geological environment and deposited radionuclides. This estimate is 5-25 times the amount carried out from the 30 km Chernobyl Exclusion Zone by water via the Prypyat River.