Radiocaesium

In 1986 the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in the Ukraine resulted in widespread radionucleide contamination across Europe. There were two main passes of the radioactive cloud across the UK in the aftermath of the accident which resulted in the deposition of radioactivity, including ¹³⁷Caesium, across parts of the UK. Early predictions of fixation by soils proved to be inaccurate for the highly organic upland soils and cycling of radioactivity through the soil/plant system has resulted in long-term contamination. This resulted in high body burdens of radioactivity in sheep grazing these upland areas where sheep movements were subsequently restricted.