@article{0db5198f42c84ddcabb3eaa3b328808d,
title = "Plutonium aided reconstruction of caesium atmospheric fallout in European topsoils",
abstract = "Global nuclear weapon testing and the Chernobyl accident have released large amounts of radionuclides into the environment. However, to date, the spatial patterns of these fallout sources remain poorly constrained. Fallout radionuclides (137Cs, 239Pu, 240Pu) were measured in soil samples (n = 160) collected at flat, undisturbed grasslands in Western Europe in the framework of a harmonised European soil survey. We show that both fallout sources left a specific radionuclide imprint in European soils. Accordingly, we used plutonium to quantify contributions of global versus Chernobyl fallout to 137Cs found in European soils. Spatial prediction models allowed for a first assessment of the global versus Chernobyl fallout pattern across national boundaries. Understanding the magnitude of these fallout sources is crucial not only to establish a baseline in case of future radionuclide fallout but also to define a baseline for geomorphological reconstructions of soil redistribution due to soil erosion processes.",
author = "Katrin Meusburger and Olivier Evrard and Christine Alewell and Pasquale Borrelli and Giorgia Cinelli and Michael Ketterer and Lionel Mabit and Panos Panagos and {van Oost}, Kristof and Cristiano Ballabio",
note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank Ir{\`e}ne Lef{\`e}vre (Gamma measurements at LSCE) and Arsenio Tolosa (Gamma measurements at SWMCNL). Judith Kobler-Waldis (Environmental Geosciences, University Basel) for her conscientious preparation of the Pu samples which, with the help of Mike Ketterer, could be measured at the University of Cadiz. Further, we would like to thank Markus Zehringer (State-Laboratory Basel-City) for cross-validating a subset of 137Cs measurements. Dirk Karger (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Birmensdorf) for the supply of the CHELSA rainfall maps. Kristof Van Oost received a d{\textquoteright}Alembert fellowship from the University Paris-Saclay (ANR-11-IDEX-0003–02). Further, we gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the FNRS under Grant Number J006517F. We would also thank Marc De Cort (European Commission) for reviewing the article. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020, The Author(s).",
year = "2020",
month = dec,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1038/s41598-020-68736-2",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "10",
journal = "Scientific Reports",
issn = "2045-2322",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
number = "1",
}