Environmental Radioactivity in Denmark in 1986

Strontium-90, radiocesium and other radionuclides were determined in samples from all over the country of air, precipitation, stream water, lake water, ground water, drinking water, sea water, soil, sediments, dried milk, fresh milk, meat,
fish, cheese, eggs, grain, bread, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, qrass, moss, lichen, sea plants, total diet, and humans. Estimates of the mean contents of radiostrontium and radiocesium in the human diet in Denmark during 1986 are aiven. Tritium was determined in precipitation, ground water, other fresh
waters and sea water. The y-backqround was measured regularly by TLD, ionization chamber and on site y~spectroscopy at locations around Risø, at ten of the State experimental farms, along the coasts of the Great Belt and around Gylling Næs. The marine environments at Barsebåck and Ringhals were monitored for ¹³⁷Cs and corrosion products (⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁰Co, ⁶⁵Zn, ⁵⁴Mn).

The Chernobyl accident caused a substantial expansion of the environmental, monitoring activities in Denmark. The programme was expanded to an extent similar to that in the sixties.