Radioactive pollution in Athens, Greece due to the Fukushima nuclear accident

As a result of the nuclear accident in Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant, which started on March 11, 2011, radioactive pollutants were transferred by air masses to various regions of the Northern hemisphere, including Europe. Very low concentrations of I-131, Cs-137 and (CS)-C-134 in airborne particulate matter were measured in Athens, Greece during the period of March 24 to April 28, 2011. The maximum air concentration of I-131 was measured on April 6, 2011 and equaled 490 +/- 35 mu Bq m(-3). The maximum values of the two cesium isotopes were measured on the same day and equaled 180 +/- 40 mu Bq m(-3) for Cs-137 and 160 +/- 30 mu Bq m(-3) for Cs-134. The average activity ratio of I-131/Cs-137 in air was 3.0 +/- 0.5, while the corresponding ratio of Cs-137/Cs-134 equaled 1.1 +/- 0.3. No artificial radionuclides could be detected in air after April 28, 2011. Traces of I-131 as a result of radioactive deposition were measured in grass, soil, sheep milk and meat. The total deposition of I-131 (dry + wet) was 34 +/- 4 Bq m(-2), and of Cs-137 was less than 10 Bq m(-2). The maximum concentration of I-131 in grass was 2.1 +/- 0.4 Bg kg(-1), while Cs-134 was not detected. The maximum concentrations of I-131 and Cs-137 in sheep milk were 1.7 +/- 0.16 Bq kg(-1) and 0.6 +/- 0.12 Bq kg(-1) respectively. Concentrations of I-131 up to 1.3 +/- 0.2 Bq kg(-1) were measured in sheep meat. Traces of I-131 were found in a number of soil samples. The radiological impact of the Fukushima nuclear accident in Athens region was practically negligible, especially as compared to that of the Chernobyl accident and also to that of natural radioactivity. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.