[en] The assessment of the ways and regularities of internal dose formation in the population is impossible without the determination of food consumption habits for the population residing in contaminated areas. Food habits of peoples inhabiting the former Soviet Union differ both due to historical reasons and to religious traditions. Variation of food consumption is an important factor of radio-ecological sensitivity of the population. We try to show this on the example of south-west districts of the Bryansk region contaminated as a result of the Chernobyl accident. In these regions, a set of countermeasures has been applied that strongly deformed traditional food consumption. (orig.)

[en] Analysis of the data on dynamics of ¹³⁷Cs content in the most critical (during different time periods after the radioactive fallout) links of the food chain that are necessary for assessing of the current internal doses in population, reconstruction and long-term forecast of these doses are presented. The data were obtained during 1986-2000 as a result of monitoring of contaminated areas in Russia that considerably differ in their soil conditions, the levels of ¹³⁷Cs surface activity on soil and types of countermeasures applied. A summary of effective half-lives (T_1/2) of ¹³⁷Cs aggregated transfer factors Tag from soil into agricultural and natural products observed after the Chernobyl fallout is given. (orig.)

[en] Countermeasures have been effectively employed within intensive agricultural systems in areas of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) affected by the Chernobyl accident. However, ingestion doses continue to be elevated in some areas as a result of few foodstuffs which are collected from the wild or produced by the household. Forest fungi and berries, and milk from privately owned cattle are the most notable contributors to ¹³⁷Cs intakes amongst these foodstuffs. In this paper we consider advice which would help affected populations to both understand the importance of these exposure routes and to reduce their exposure. In addition to the potential radiological benefits, self-help schemes are highly cost-effective and likely to have a positive psychological influence on populations living within contaminated areas of the FSU. Evidence to suggest that the transfer of radiocaesium to cow milk is considerably higher in the FSU than within western Europe and North America is discussed

[en] The importance of food from different production systems to the internal dose from radiocesium, was investigated in selected study sites in Ukraine and Russia. Food products from semi-natural ecosystems are major contributors to the individual internal dose to rural population in areas affected by the Chernobyl accident. At the selected study sites it is estimated in 1995 that foods from private farms and forests contribute on average 35% to 60%, to the individual internal dose, variation relating to soil types and implemented countermeasures. The importance of food products from private farms and particularly forest products increases with time since Cs concentration in some of the natural food products have longer ecological half life than food products from agricultural systems. A significant relationship was observed between consumption of mushrooms and whole body content of radiocesium in rural people. The contribution to the collective dose of food products produced in the semi-natural ecosystems is less than the contribution to the individual internal dose for the local rural population

[en] Radiocesium contamination of milk persists in some areas of Belarus, Ukraine and Russian Federation which received fallout from the Chernobyl accident. In general, effective countermeasures have been used which ensure that radiocesium activity concentrations in milk from collective farms does not exceed intervention limits. However, farming practices differ greatly between the large collective farms, and the small, family operated private farms which are responsible for a major part of the food consumed in many rural areas. As a result of comparative low rate of use of fertilizers and utilization of poor quality land ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations in milk from family-owned cows continues to exceed intervention limits in some areas. It is therefore important to be able reliably to quantify the rates of transfer of ¹³⁷Cs to private milk, so that all areas where persistent problems occur are identified, and appropriate countermeasure strategies applied. Where there is considerable variation, within a few km², in both soil type and deposition, the ¹³⁷Cs content of private milk is highly variable. However, combining information about soil type, transfer rates for each major soil type, deposition, pasture size and grazing strategies can be a useful method of quantifying transfer of radiocesium to milk. Geographical information systems provide a promising new tool to integrate these factors. Effective Countermeasures are available to reduce radiocesium transfer to private milk. Private farmers are more sceptical of such methods than the scientists, administrators and agriculturalists in their society, particularly those methods involving the use of chemical additives given to their animals. Increased information efforts on the local level appears to be a prerequisite for a successful implementation of necessary Countermeasures