Using reservoir sediment deposits to determine the longer-term fate of chernobyl-derived 137Cs fallout in the fluvial system

Vast areas of Europe were contaminated by the fallout of Cs-137 and other radionuclides, as a result of the Chernobyl accident in 1986. The post-fallout redistribution of Chernobyl-derived Cs-137 was associated with erosion and sediment transport processes within the fluvial system. Bottom sediments from lakes and reservoirs can provide a valuable source of information regarding the post-fallout redistribution and fate of Cs-137 released by the Chernobyl accident. A detailed investigation of sediment-associated Cs-137 in the bottom sediments of a reservoir in a Chernobyl-affected area in Central Russia has been undertaken. A new approach, based on the vertical distribution of Cs-137 activity concentrations in the reservoir bottom sediment makes it possible to separate the initially deposited bottom sediment, where the Cs-137 activity reflects the direct fallout of Chernobyl-derived Cs-137 to the reservoir surface and its subsequent incorporation into sediment deposited immediately after the accident, from the sediment mobilized from the catchment deposited subsequently. The deposits representing direct fallout from the atmosphere was termed the Chernobyl peak. Its shape can be described by a diffusion equation and it can be distinguished from the remaining catchment-derived Cs-137 associated with sediment accumulated with sediments during the post-Chernobyl period. The Cs-137 depth distribution above the Chernobyl peak was used to provide a record of changes in the concentration of sediment-associated Cs-137 transported from the upstream catchment during the post-Chernobyl period. It was found that the Cs-137 activity concentration in the sediment deposited in the reservoir progressively decreased during the 30-year period after the accident due to a reduction in the contribution of sediment eroded from the arable land in the catchment. This reflects a reduction in both the area of cultivated land area and the reduced incidence of surface runoff from the slopes during spring snowmelt due to climate warming. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The deposition and redistribution of Cs-137 in European water bodies following the Chernobyl accident in 1986 were studied through an investigation of bottom sediments in a reservoir in Central Russia. The study identified a decrease in Cs-137 activity concentration in sediment deposited in the reservoir over a 30-year period, attributed to reduced sediment contribution from arable land in the catchment area.