Are we moving in the right direction?
In Kautokeino the highest concentrations of caesium-137 were registered in 1965. Since then, concentrations have gradually decreased, with the exception of an increase after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. However, after the accident, concentrations of caesium-137 in reindeer herders from Kautokeino have been much lower than those registered in Mid-Norway.
The last provisional measurements of radioactive caesium in reindeer herders were conducted in Snåsa and in Røros in 2006. The survey shows that concentrations in herders are decreasing. Much of the decline from 2005 to 2006 can however be attributed to a different group characteristics. In 2006, a greater share of the participants was from less contaminated areas in South Trøndelag and Hedmark. In the most contaminated districts in North Trøndelag, the reduction is not as evident.