Model testing using Chernobyl data: III. Atmospheric resuspension of radionuclides in Ukrainian regions impacted by Chernobyl fallout.

The "Resuspension" scenario is designed to test models for atmospheric resuspension of radionuclides from contaminated soils. Resuspension can be a secondary source of contamination after a release has stopped, as well as a source of contamination for people and areas not exposed to the original release. The test scenario describes three exposure situations: (1) locations within the highly contaminated 30-km zone at Chernobyl, where exposures to resuspended material are probably dominated by local processes; (2) an urban area (Kiev) outside the 30-km zone, where local processes include extensive vehicular traffic; and (3) a location 40 to 60 km west of the Chernobyl reactor, where upwind sources of contamination are important. Input data include characteristics of the 137Cs ground contamination around specific sites, climatological data for the sites, characteristics of the terrain and topography, and locations of the sampling sites. Predictions are requested for average air concentrations of 137Cs at specified locations due to resuspension of Chernobyl fallout and for specified resuspension factors and rates. Test data (field measurements) are available for all endpoints.