Estimate of the density of global fallout of cesium-137 according to the data of its content in closed geochemical arenas of southwestern Siberia

Abstract

The density of global radioactive contamination was the most reliable estimated in marine regions and less accurate for intracontinental areas with semi-arid and arid climatic conditions. This work presents the results of using a new method developed for estimating the density of global radioactive contamination based on the calculation of ¹³⁷Cs concentration in closed lake catchments. An average density of of ¹³⁷Cs contamination in the model closed lake catchments of southwestern Siberian steppe landscapes is 0.80 ± 0.24 kBq m^–2 that is 2–3 times lower than the levels calculated on the basis of the published data.