The Results of the Long-Term Monitoring of the Cross-Border Air Transport of the Artificial Radionuclides to the Territory of the Sverdlovsk Region from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Located in the Chelyabinsk region

Relevance. Due to the imperfection of the used gas cleaning equipment in the early years of the Production Association «Mayak» existence, the significant additional contribution to the exposure of the population of the south of the Sverdlovsk region were made by the gas and aerosol emissions of radionuclides into the atmosphere. Even today the PA «Mayak» continues to be a source of the radioactive contamination of the surrounding areas, and there is the potential threat of the new large-scale radiation disasters. It is impossible to completely eliminate the occurrence of any emergency situations in the enterprise, as well as the likelihood of the cross-border air transport of the radionuclides from the areas contaminated earlier. Intention. To assess radiation background levels in the southern part of the Sverdlovsk region subject to the probable air transport of radionuclides from the nuclear fuel cycle facilities located in the Chelyabinsk region. Methodology. The conceptual model of the radiation monitoring on the way of the cross-border air transport of radionuclides into the territory of Sverdlovsk region from the nuclear fuel cycle facilities located in the Chelyabinsk region was designed and tested. It includes the determination of the content of the long-lived radionuclides (90Sr and, 137Cs) in the environmental objects playing the role of natural plates. These include snow cover, the upper layer of the soil (0-20 cm), and open ponds water. Results and Discussion. The results confirm that the current atmospheric precipitates for the period of 2004–2016 had no significant effect on the radiation situation at the controlled territory. Soils of the southern part of the Sverdlovsk region and the waters of Chervyanoe lake and the ponds of Komarova village are characterized by a higher content of 90Sr, that may result from the additional radiation contamination in the previous years. Conclusion. The developed conceptual model of the radiation monitoring can be successfully used for studying the impact of the existing nuclear fuel cycle enterprises on the surrounding areas, and also for organizing the protection of the population in various radiation accidents and emergency situations involving the uncontrolled release of the radionuclides into the atmosphere or water objects.

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