RESUMO
In 1994, the Institute of Applied Physics of Milan carried out a study to measure cesium 137 levels in some boys and girls from Belarus, mainly the Gomel district, which is still a risk area for radioactive contamination. In the summer, nearly 700 boys and girls (age range: 8-14 years) were accommodated by some Italian families in Piedmont and Lombardy. Our research was just meant to collect some pieces of information and dealt with whole body counter measurements (70 children) and with the analysis of radiocesium levels in urine samples (50 children). Our Institute collaborated with the Service of Radiation Protection in Ispra and with the ENEL Service of Radiation Protection in Trino Vercellese. In all, we examined 70 children, divided in groups of 8-10 children each. The results of our measurements show that radiocesium levels ranged from about ten Bq to some thousands Bq. In some children who exhibited high radiocesium levels, its distribution in the body was also studied and shown to be uniform. Finally, the comparison between body and urine Cesium levels allowed us to calculate the biological half-life of soluble cesium.
