Settling of population exposed to radiation on the Techa River, over the observation period from 1950 to 2010

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to estimate the range and direction of migration of the population exposed to radiation on the Techa River over the period from 1950 through 2010. The study was based on the data from a database created at the Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine as a result of a long-term monitoring of the population exposed to radiation on the Techa River. The range of the migration of those exposed on the Techa River was assessed in accordance with the levels of the administrative stratification along with migration streams upon their arrival at rural communities and towns. Migration streams residing on the territory of Chelyabinsk and Kurgan oblasts at the time of exposure were compared. Over the period from 1950 through 2010, an intensification of the migration of the population exposed on the Techa was observed, and since 1961, the proportion of persons migrating outside the Urals region has increased. At later time after the start of the exposure, the relocation of exposed residents to cities became more noticeable compared with relocations to the rural areas. The persons exposed on the territory of Kurgan oblast were more prone to distant migration than the exposed residents of Chelyabinsk oblast.