Time-dependence of decontamination efficiency after a fallout of gamma-emitting radionuclides in suburban areas: a theoretical outlook on topsoil removal

Decontamination of urban areas may be necessary in the case of extensive fallout of radioactive material after a nuclear accident, as removal of contaminated soil and vegetation will significantly reduce doses for the residents in an area affected by fallout. Experience from Japan shows that cleanup operations of urban areas may take years despite investment in ample resources. The time delay between the initial fallout and completion of the decontamination measures allows natural and physical processes to affect the results. The efficiency of the decontamination will therefore depend significantly on time. Radioecological modeling and computer simulation of urban topography with one-story houses were applied in this study to estimate action-influenced time-integrated dose reductions (TDR) of contaminated topsoil removal as a function of time after the fallout. Results indicate that the TDR decreases gradually after the fallout depending on the vertical migration rate of radiocesium and, to some extent, the initial (134)Cs/(137)Cs ratio. Delaying the topsoil removal from 1 to 10 years will result in a TDR decrease by more than a factor of two. Removing the topsoil within one year after fallout results typically in an averted effective dose between 34 and 80 mSv per MBq m(−2) deposition of (137)Cs for residents in wooden houses. The corresponding values for residents in brick houses are about 50% lower due to higher shielding. Additional modeling is needed to estimate how age and sex influence the averted detriment to affected cohorts. In addition, more in-depth knowledge of how the efficiency of topsoil removal in practice compares with hypothetical models and the effect of incomplete removal of radiocesium is needed to improve calculations of TDR values.