Radioactivity of timber in Finland
There are no images attached to this page.
Abstract | A study was made to analyse 134Cs and 137Cs in Finnish timber and to assess doses from 137Cs in timber used as building material. Samples consisted of 87 discs of logs of Norway spruce, Scots pine and birch (Betula spp.) from 47 municipalities located in the main Chernobyl fallout area in southern and central Finland. Activity concentrations were determined for wood and bark separately. Activity concentrations of 137Cs in debarked timber were a few tens of Bq kg-1 'stock weight' (80 % dry matter). A considerable part of Finnish timber is produced in less contaminated areas where activity concentrations are low. The annual doses were only a few percent of the action level of 1 mSv per year for exposure from gamma radiation from natural radioactive substances in building materials originating from rock and soil (ST Guide 12.2, 17 December 2010, STUK). No restrictions for use of Finnish timber were needed due to radiocaesium derived from Chernobyl fallout. | |
STAR partner | STUK | |
Type of data | Research | |
Sample number | 101 - 500 | |
Quality | Prior to 1999 in-house quality evaluation | |
Spatially referenced | No | |
Ecosystem type | Terrestrial | |
Sample type | Timber | |
Date | 1993 | |
Languages | Finnish | |
Status | Completed study | |
Obtain data | Data are provided on request without restriction. Contact: star.stuk@stuk.fi | |
Key reference sources | Results are published annually in STUK-A report series, e.g. Rantavaara A. Radioactivity of timber. STUK-A133. Helsinki: Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority; 1996. (in Finnish with English summary) | |
Data ownership | STUK | |
Database format | Excel | |
Figure information | ||
Keywords | finland , chernobyl , infoex |
Prepared by STAR NoE