Remediation of areas contaminated by caesium: basic mechanisms behind remedial options and experience in application

There are many areas around the world contaminated with radiocaesium to different extents due to global fallout from nuclear weapons testing, radiation accidents or inadequate waste disposal practices. In recent decades, a wide range of options for remediation of these areas have been developed, tested and implemented to mitigate the potential doses in such areas. A large amount of data on the effectiveness of remediation options has been generated, together with information on ancillary factors such as technical feasibility and side effects. The chapter aims to provide information on available options for remediation of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems contaminated with radiocaesium. An associated objective is to provide scientific information on the basic mechanisms which impact on effectiveness of the described remedial options.