Monitoring of Aerosol and Fallout Radioactivity in Belgrade After the Fukushima Reactors Accident Jelena Nikolic & Gordana Pantelic & Dragana Todorovic & Marija Jankovic & Maja Eremić Savkovic Received: 29 November 2011 / Accepted: 12 June 2012 / Published online: 4 July 2012 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012 Abstract After the accident in Fukushima reactors, a daily monitoring programme was initiated in two laboratories in Belgrade, one at the Vinčа Institute for Nuclear Sciences and the other at Institute for Occupational Health Karajovic. Samples of aerosol and fallout, as well as the random samples of food and water, were collected and analysed, using gross alpha/beta and gamma spectrometry, in order to establish the presence of traces of isotopes indicating Fukushima fallout. Gamma spectrometry measurement of these samples showed clear evi- dence of fission products 131 I, 134 Cs and 137 Cs wtihin 2 weeks after the accident. The activity dimin- ished with time due to dispersion in air and, in case of 131 I, short half-life. Keywords 131 I . 134 Cs . 137 Cs . Aerosols . Fallout 1 Introduction The Fukushima Daiici nuclear power plant accident caused a large regional release of radionuclides into the atmosphere and subsequent radioactive contami- nation of the environment. Once released into the atmosphere, long-range atmospheric transport pro- cesses can cause a widespread distribution of radioac- tive matter. The fallout consisting of short-lived and long-lived radionuclides eventually affects humans either directly or indirectly by entering the food chain through plants and animals. The radioactive contamination originating from Fukushima was detected not only in Japan and Asia, but also in the entire northern hemisphere, including USA and Europe (Chino et al. 2011; Diaz Leon et al. 2011; Manolopoulou et al. 2011; Pittauerová et al. 2011; Wakeford 2011). The fallout spread from Fukushima across the Pacific ocean and American continent, then over the Atlantic ocean, and finally came to Europe, where it was first detected in Iceland and Scandinavia. After that, all European countries reported detection of the elements originating from Fukushima reactors. Serbia has developed a monitoring programme 60 years ago. The contents of radionuclides are deter- mined in aerosol, soil, fallout (wet and dry deposition), rivers, lake and drinking water, human and animal food, on monthly basis. This network and monitoring pro- grammes were updated after the Chernobyl accident. Water Air Soil Pollut (2012) 223:4823–4829 DOI 10.1007/s11270-012-1238-x J. Nikolic (*) : G. Pantelic : D. Todorovic : M. Jankovic University of Belgrade Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Mike Petrovića Alasa 12-14, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia e-mail: jnikolic@vinca.rs M. E. Savkovic Serbian Institute of Occupational Health “Dr Dragomir Karajović”, Deligradska 29, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia