Long-term variation (1986-1998) of post-Chernobyl 90Sr, 137Cs, 238Pu and (239,240)Pu concentrations in air, depositions to ground, resuspension factors and resuspension rates in south Germany.

Annual mean concentrations in air and annual total (wet plus dry) depositions to ground of 90Sr, 137Cs, 238Pu and (239,240)Pu decreased at Neuherberg, south Germany, in the period from July 1986 (i.e. after the end of the initial deposition phase from Chernobyl) to 1998 as follows: 90Sr from 0.77 to 0.05 microBq m(-3), and from 0.82 (1988) to 0.28 Bq m(-2) year(-1); 137Cs from 133 to 2.8 microBq m(-3), and from 116 to 3.8 Bq m(-2) year(-1); 238Pu from 0.95 to 0.063 nBq m(-3), and from 1.0 to 0.23 mBq m(-2) year(-1); (239,240)Pu from 8.1 to 0.53 nBq m(-3), and from 6.4 to 2.1 mBq m(-2) year(-1). The values for the non-caesium radionuclides are compared to the few available data from other stations. After an initial phase which is characterised for a given radionuclide by the varying ratio of the Chernobyl-derived inventory to the earlier, weapons fallout-derived inventory, the time courses of concentrations of 137Cs, 90Sr, 238Pu and (239,240)Pu in air become more or less parallel (from about 1990), despite the considerable differences in the physico-chemical properties of these elements. By contrast, the time series of radionuclide deposition rates show until about 1994 less similarity among each other and with the respective concentration series in air. From 1994, concentrations in air and depositions to ground become nearly constant, or decrease very slowly. At the end of the observation period, resuspension factors between 1.4 x 10(-10) m(-1) and 1.0 x 10(-11) m(-1) are observed for the various nuclides. The time courses of specific activities (Bq g(-1)) as well as the time courses of radionuclide ratios show characteristic differences between air and deposition. The data will be useful in predicting the post-accident behaviour of radionuclides a long time after a large-scale contamination event.