A Survey of Present Levels of Radiocesium in Swedish Pulp Mill Liquors and the Implications for Wood Radiocesium Transfer Factors: Using Kraft Mill Liquors as an Indicator of Wood Radiocesium Contamination

A survey was initiated to depict and compare the present activity levels in pulp mill liquors from various mill locations. The ¹³⁷Cs levels in pulp mill liquors were compared with the mill location and the deposition pattern of the Chernobyl fallout and nuclear weapons fallout. The large input of wood (about 2500 m³ per day) to an average Nordic Kraft mill and the relatively long-term retention time for radiocesium in the Kraft mill recovery cycle enables representative sampling of substances directly related to the activity concentration in wood.