[Irradiation of the population of the West Slovakia Region by atmospheric fallout of 90Sr and 137Cs from 1965 to 1988]. / Oziarenie obyvatel'stva Západoslovenského kraja 90Sr a 137Cs z atmosferického spadu v rokoch 1965-1988.

The results of the survey show that as a consequence of the nuclear accident in Chernobyl contamination of foodstuffs with radioactive substances caused in May 1986 and additional irradiation of the population of the West Slovakian region which amounted to approximately 10-20% of the dose load derived from natural sources (cosmic radiation, radioactive substances present in the earth crust, in building materials, etc.). The mean dose load of the population was roughly 8 times higher in 1986 than in 1965, when tests of nuclear weapons had been carried out in the atmosphere and when systematic monitoring of radioactivity in foodstuffs had been implemented in the West Slovakian region. Contamination of the environment due to nuclear weapon tests reached the highest values in 1962-1963 when the dose load of the population can be assumed to have been 2-3 times higher than in 1965. In the locality of the nuclear power plant Jasl. Bohunice contamination of foodstuffs with radioactive substances was in the period of operation of the plant at the level of foodstuff contamination recorded at the reference site.