Spatial variability of fallout-137Cs in the soil of a cultivated field

✍ Scribed by H. Bachhuber; K. Bunzl; W. Schimmack

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 406 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0167-6369
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00396609

✦ Synopsis

To obtain information on the spatial variability of fallout 137Cs in the soil of a small area, the activity concentration of this radionuclide was determined in 100 soil samples, taken along the two diagonals of a cultivated field (150 x 100 m). The results show that the spatial distribution of 137Cs in this field is at random. The frequency distribution of the values is skewed to the right, but not log-normal. The median activity concentration observed was 7.45 Bq kg-1 dry soil, the values ranging from 4.8 -15 Bq kg-t. The spatial variability, as characterized by the relative decile deviation was 26o70. If one tolerates for the establishment of baselines of global fallout t3~Cs in the soil an error in the mean activity concentration of 10o70 (20~ at the 95~ confidence level, the minimum number of soil samples to be taken can be estimated as 14 (4). The total deposition of 137Cs on the soil surface by fallout was determined as 3.3+0.4 kBq m -2. * The term 'activity concentration' (Johnson 1979) is used throughout this paper rather then the more common, though incorrect term 'specific activity'.