Yablokov Chernobyl book

Yablokov & Nesterenko: Contamination through Time and Space 15Figure 1.11. Sr-90 contamination of Belarus at the beginning of 2005 (National BelarussianReport, 2006).There is still a high probability of smallbut dangerously radioactive areas in the Caucasus;Trans-Caucasia; lower, central, and middleAsia (including Turkey, Iran, Iraq, andAfghanistan); China; and the Persian Gulf area,continuing until the present time.1.2.3. North AmericaAreas in North America were contaminatedfrom the first, most powerful explosion, whichlifted a cloud of radionuclides to a height ofmore than 10 km. Some 1% of all Chernobylradionuclides—nearly several PBq—fellon North America.1. CANADA. There were three waves ofChernobyl airborne radioactivity over easternCanada composed of: Be-7, Fe-59, Nb-95, Zr-95, Ru-103, Ru-106, I-131, La-140, Ce-141,Ce-144, Mn-54, Co-60, Zn-65, Ba-140, andCs-137. The fallout of May 6 and 14 arrivedvia the Arctic, and that of May 25 and 26 viathe Pacific (Roy et al., 1988). By the official “EnvironmentalRadioactivity in Canada” reportfor 1986 (RADNET, 2008) Chernobyl Ru-103,Ru-106, Cs-134, and Cs-137 were consistentlymeasurable until about mid-June.2. UNITED STATES. The Chernobyl plumescrossed the Arctic within the lower troposphereand the Pacific Ocean within themid-troposphere, respectively. Chernobyl isotopesof Ru-103, Ru-106, Ba-140, La-140,Zr-95, Mo-95, Ce-141, Ce-144, Cs-134, Cs-136, Cs-137, I-132, and Zr-95 were detectedin Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, New Jersey,New York, Florida, Hawaii, and other states(Table 1.4).An Associated Press release on May 15,1986, noted “Officials in Oregon have warnedthat those who use rainwater for drinkingshould use other sources of water for sometime.”