ACTIVITY OF 137CS IN HUMAN BODY OF INHABITANTS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

The time course of Cs-137 activity in general population of the Czech Republic has been systematically followed since the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Either whole body counting or the determination of Cs-137 content in 24-hour urine samples were used as a method of determination of body activity. Environmental and effective half-lives were calculated from the data. In the time period from 1986 to 1990 the effective half-life was 1.3 years; since 1990 up to present the half-life is 15 years. The older data on whole body activity of Cs-137 from 1965 to 1985 were compiled and are presented as well. Apart from the general population, a group of people who have special dietary habits in terms of increased game meat consumption, namely wild boar meat, has been monitored since 2000. In this group, the body content of Cs-137 is about two orders of magnitude higher than in the general population.