Post-Chernobyl Investigations of Radiocesium Activity Concentrations in Cistern Waters along the Croatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea.

The results of long-term investigations into the postChernobyl period of radiocesium activity concentrations in cistern waters along the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea are presented. The Cs-137 activity concentrations in cistern water samples were in excellent correlation with fallout activities. The observed mean residence time of Cs-137 in cistern waters was estimated to be 6.9 +/- 0.8 y. Cesium-137 radioecological sensitivity for the period 1988-1997 for cistern water was estimated to be 1.17 x 10(-3) Bq y(-1) L-1/(Bq m(-2)). The annual total effective dose incurred by Cs-134 and Cs-137 that a hypothetical adult person drinking 1 L of cistern water per day would receive was estimated to be < 1 mSv in 1986, decreasing to 3.6 mu Sv in 2015.