Data comprise stable element concentrations for a range of elements, radionuclide activity concentrations for the isotopes K-40 and Cs-137 and radionuclide and stable element concentration ratios. Samples of soil, water, vegetation (grasses, trees, herbaceous plants and shrubs), fungi, earthworms, bees, wood mice, bank voles, common frogs, frogspawn and European toads were collected between March 2015 and October 2016 from two forests in north-east England. The study was conducted to target representative terrestrial species of the ICRPs Reference Animals and Plants. Funding for this work was via the TREE project funded by NERC, the Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd. under the RATE programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/8f85c188-a915-46ac-966a-95fcb1491be6

Data comprise radionuclide deposition, radioactivity dose measurements, radioactive particle activity and physical characteristic information from soil samples collected within and around the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) following the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. Data include radiocaesium, radiostrontium and soil chemistry parameters from soils collected in 1997, plutonium isotope measurements in soil samples and soil layers collected in 2000 and 2001, 'Hot particle' dataset presenting radionuclide activity and some physical characteristics of 'hot particles' extracted from soils collected in the Ukraine and Poland between 1995 and 1997; and Ivankov region data (radionuclide activity concentrations and natural background dose measurements) from a survey of the Ivankov region, immediately to the south of the CEZ conducted in 2014. Funding for preparing this data set was provided by the EU COMET project (http://www.radioecology-exchange.org/content/comet) and TREE (http://www.ceh.ac.uk/tree) project funded by the NERC, Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd. under the RATE programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/782ec845-2135-4698-8881-b38823e533bf

This dataset includes individual passive detector measurements of radon Rn-222 in the air of artificial burrows, Rn-222 measurements by instrumentation in soil gas of interstitial soil pores and burrow air, gamma analyses results for soil samples and, soil moisture and temperature data. Estimates of absorbed dose rates to wildlife from exposure to natural background radionuclides are required to put estimates of dose rates arising from regulated releases of radioactivity and proposed benchmarks into context. These data are from a study conducted at seven sites in northwest England (comprising broadleaved and coniferous woodlands, scrubland and pastures). Passive track etch detectors were used to measure the Rn-222 concentrations in artificial burrows over a period of approximately one year (July 2009 to June 2010). Instrumented measurements of burrow air and soil pore gas were also conducted in October 2009. The data result from a study funded by NERC-CEH and the England & Wales Environment Agency. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/2641515F-5B76-445C-A936-1DA51BF365AD

Data comprise of radionuclide and stable element concentrations in vegetal and animal food and feedstuffs, and their corresponding transfer coefficients and concentration ratios determined in Mediterranean ecosystems in Spain. The considered foodstuff groups are: cereals, grapevine (including wine), olive tree (including olive oil), lamb, beef, pork, and dairy products from sheep, goat and cow. The data include: elemental and radioactive concentration in soil, plants, food and feedstuffs; dry to fresh ratios for foodstuffs; animal feeding diet; estimation of overall elemental and radioactive diet concentration; transfer coefficients for vegetal foodstuffs (relating dry matter elemental and radionuclide concentration in foodstuff to the dry matter concentration in soil); and concentration ratios for animal foodstuffs (relating fresh matter elemental and radionuclide concentration in foodstuff to the dry matter concentration in feedstuff). Radionuclide concentrations presented include Ra-226, Cs-137, Ra-228 and K-40. Elemental concentrations presented include Cs, Sr, K, Na, Ca, Mg, P, Pb, U and Th. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/48d5395e-e9fb-45ed-b69f-1ea0d2d36be6

Data comprise plot details and radionuclide activity concentrations for Sr-90, Cs-137, Am-241, Pu-238, Pu-239 and Pu-240 in ‘grassy’ vegetation and soil. These radionuclide activity concentrations have been used to make estimations of total weighted absorbed doses to grassy vegetation, deciduous trees and bacteria; no dose rate estimates for grassy vegetation have been made for those sites where grassy vegetation was absent. Radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident killed coniferous trees in a 4-6 km2 area of forest to the west of the power plant. This area is now known as the 'Red Forest’ and it has subsequently regenerated with understorey vegetation and deciduous trees; it is the most anthropogenically contaminated radioactive ecosystem on Earth. In July 2016 a severe fire burnt (to varying degrees) c. 80 percent of the Red Forest; this presented a unique opportunity to study the impact of radiation on the recovery of forest ecosystems exposed to a secondary stressor (fire). To investigate this, in September 2017 the RED FIRE project set up sixty study plots in the Red Forest (in burnt and unburnt areas) with a further nine plots established close to Buriakivka village (approximately 8 km from the Red Forest). Vegetation samples from each plot were harvested using shears in September 2017. Each sample was sorted into ‘grassy’ and ‘other’ vegetation; these were air-dried (20-25 degrees Celsius) and the grassy vegetation samples homogenised prior to radionuclide analyses. Soil core samples collected in September 2017 were bulked, homogenised and sub-samples taken for determination of pH and percentage moisture determined by oven drying (approximately 60 degrees Celsius) to a constant mass. The remaining soil sample was used for the determination of radionuclide activity concentrations; prior to analyses, these samples were dried at approximately 80 degrees Celsius. This work was funded by the NERC, Grant Ref: NE/P015212/1 (RED FIRE: Radioactive Environment Damaged by fire: a Forest In Recovery) Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/60782622-7bfa-4615-a9e3-0a802a9f4674

Data comprise site location, soil chemistry (pH, soil moisture), soil radionuclide activity concentrations (the isotopes measured were: Americium-241, Caesium-137, Plutonium-238, -239 and -240, Strontium-90 (K-40 and U-238 activity concentrations were estimated from stable element data) and soil biological activity (derived from application of bait lamina sticks) at 18 sites in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), Ukraine in 2016; data for four sites in 2005 are also presented. Estimate absorbed radionuclide dose rates to soil invertebrates and bacteria are also presented. The primary purpose of these data was to enable an evaluation of the potential impact of radiation on soil organisms. The work was carried out by UKCEH, Chernobyl Centre for Nuclear Safety and the University of Salford. Funding for this work was via the TREE project funded by NERC, Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd. under the RATE programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/19babe1c-b3a3-488c-b4fe-ebb4ab9237d8

Data comprise a compilation of quality-controlled biological half-life values (and associated information) from a literature review for animals (mainly farm livestock) which contribute to the human food chain. The dataset contains almost 650 entries for 12 animal types (cattle, sheep, goats, deer, geese, hens, horses, pigs, rabbits, camels, ducks and red grouse) of importance to the human food chain for 32 elements relevant to radiological protection. Entries include values for milk, muscle (meat), eggs, whole body, carcass and various tissues (e.g. liver and kidney); the number of entries available for each element/food-chain product combination is highly variable. The dataset also contains values for other sample types (e.g. urine, faeces etc.) that are not associated with the human food but are presented as the data appeared in the same source reference as those values for human food chain products and they may be useful for modelling purposes. All the source references consulted during the review are provided. The study was conducted as part of the CONFIDENCE project which is part of the CONCERT EJP, which receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No 662287. Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/d26ea56a-a692-427c-8f5a-a9bb6eb7da6b

Measurements of sediment properties (including organic and carbonate content), radionuclides (210Pb, 137Cs, 241Am) and elements (including mercury, nickel, copper, zinc, and lead) in lake sediment successions. Radionuclide dating provides a reliable chronology of sediment ages from the mid-19th century (sometimes only 20th century) to the present (2016). The dataset comprises a standardised matrix of multiple measured sediment variables (element values per mass) against stratigraphic depth for 8 lakes. In some water bodies multiple core datasets exist. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/4b4a2388-fea2-48e8-8d61-4b93ada479bb

Following the Fukushima accident in March 2011, grass samples were collected from 42 sites around Great Britain during April 2011. Iodine-131 was measurable in grass samples across the country with activity concentrations ranging from 10 to 55 Bq per kg dry matter. Concentrations were similar to those reported in other European countries. Rainwater and some foodstuffs were also analysed from a limited number of sites. Of these, I-131 was only detectable in sheep's milk (c. 2 Bq/kg). Caesium-134, which can be attributed to releases from the Fukushima reactors, was detectable in six of the grass samples (4-8 Bq/kg dry matter); 137Cs was detected in a larger number of grass samples although previous release sources (atmospheric weapons test and the 1986 Chernobyl and 1957 Windscale accidents) are likely to have contributed to this. All data and information for this sampling are available from this record. The data result from collaboration between CEH and the University of Stirling. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/1a91c7d1-ec44-4858-9af2-98d80f169bbd

A large area of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was affected by severe wildfires in April 2020. This dataset presents the results of a study conducted following the fire in September/October 2020 to measure the migration of 137Cs and 90Sr in soils collected from three study sites located within forested areas on the left bank of the Pripyat River within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Data comprise activity concentrations of 90Sr and 137Cs measured in soil samples. Soils were sampled layer-by-layer (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm, 40-50 cm, 50-60 cm, 60-70 cm, 70-80 cm, 80-90 cm, and 90-100 cm) from three locations at each of the three study sites. At each of the three study sites, circular plots were established on September 21st 2020 and soil samples collected; the circular plots were of different sizes dependent upon tree density. On October 8th 2020 a tripod was installed at the centre of each study site; the plot coordinates were noted and information on the trees present recorded (diameter, height and condition (dead or alive)). The dataset comprises two files. These files contain information on site and sampling locations, date of sampling, Cs-137 and Sr-90 activity concentration ((Bq kg-1) and analysis uncertainty (2-sigma)) in soil samples taken at 10cm intervals to a depth of 1 m, tree condition after wildfire (measured October 8th 2020); tree diameter (measured at a height of 1.3 m above ground level) and tree height (m). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/72c05810-eb66-49e1-9107-dec8cde3b07e