Cesium Transport in Food Chains — Comparison of Model Predictions and Observations

Measurements of cesium from the Chernobyl accident in different environmental media are compared with respective model predictions. Especially the sub-models for the interception of washout by plantstime-dependence of the contamination of grasstransfer fodder — milktransfer fodder — meat are considered. Mean values and ranges of several model parameters are derived from our measurements for the post-Chernobyl situation.These parameter ranges are used as input data for a stochastic version of the radioecological model ECOSYS and a probability function of the activity intake by man is generated. The results are compared with the distribution functions of cesium content in persons actually measured with whole body counters.