The consequences of a severe nuclear accident on the agricultural environment,
releasing 137Cs and 90Sr-enriched aerosols, have been studied within an original
lysimetric facility driven in controlled conditions. Focal point of a research
scope widely open to European collaborations, this facility has hosted several
scientific programmes spread over about a decade (RESSAC and PEACE, notably),
the principal achievements of which are provided in the form of a synthetic overview.
After a brief reminder of the historical context strongly challenged by the Chernobyl
accident within which this project has evolved, the originality of the instrumental
set up used for simulating a nuclear accident at a small scale is presented. The addressed
scientific aspects concern the clarification of radioecological mechanisms governing the
behaviour of these two radionuclides in the soil-plant system. A particular focus is
placed on foliar transfers and the resulting translocation, soil in-depth migration,
chemical composition of the soil interstitial water, the influence of the later on root
absorption which determines the soil-to-plant transfer, all aspects being stressed over
a representative spectrum of plants, soil and climates. Based on a strategy of synergy
between experiments and modelling developments, the achievements obtained are used to
improve the predictive radioprotection tools.