Assessment of secondary radioactive contamination of a decontaminated land plot located on the territory of a recreation base in a wooded area

The article presents results of a long-term (1998–2021) radiological monitoring survey of a recreation base located in a wooded area in the zone of radioactive contamination after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Local mechanical decontamination of the soil had been made on the ter...

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Main Authors: V. P. Ramzaev, A. N. Barkovsky
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Saint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. Ramzaev 2023-06-01
Series:Радиационная гигиена
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/952
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author V. P. Ramzaev
A. N. Barkovsky
author_facet V. P. Ramzaev
A. N. Barkovsky
author_sort V. P. Ramzaev
collection DOAJ
description The article presents results of a long-term (1998–2021) radiological monitoring survey of a recreation base located in a wooded area in the zone of radioactive contamination after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Local mechanical decontamination of the soil had been made on the territory of the base in 1997. The evaluation of the secondary radioactive contamination of the decontaminated territory was performed by comparing dynamics of the radiological situation at the treated plot and the control, nondecontaminated, part of the base according to four main criteria: 1) dose rate of gamma radiation in the air from cesium radionuclides; 2) inventory of 137Cs in soil; 3) vertical distribution of 137Cs in soil; 4) activity concentration of 137Cs in plants and fungi. In 1998, the value of the 137Cs inventory in the upper 20 cm of soil in the control part of the territory of the base and in the decontaminated plot was 930 kBq/m2 and 143 kBq/ m2, respectively. By 2015, the value of the 137Cs inventory in the control area and the decontaminated plot had significantly decreased: by 35% and 36%, respectively. A decrease in the dose rate of gamma radiation in the air at the decontaminated plot and control area proceeded at the same rate, which is currently mainly determined by the decay of 137Cs. There was a gradual self-restoration of the forest ecosystem at the plot subjected to decontamination. Activity concentration of 137Cs in biota (pine, edible mushrooms) in the treated plot was many times lower than that in the control part of the recreation base. In general, there was no significant secondary radioactive contamination of the decontaminated plot in the 24 years after the intervention.
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spelling doaj-art-ceb3e4c1da8145a28ebd75669392cd762025-08-20T03:01:47ZengSaint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. RamzaevРадиационная гигиена1998-426X2023-06-01162526410.21514/1998-426X-2023-16-2-52-64799Assessment of secondary radioactive contamination of a decontaminated land plot located on the territory of a recreation base in a wooded areaV. P. Ramzaev0A. N. Barkovsky1Saint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. Ramzaev, Federal Service for Surveillance of Consumer Rights Protection and Human WellbeingSaint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. Ramzaev, Federal Service for Surveillance of Consumer Rights Protection and Human WellbeingThe article presents results of a long-term (1998–2021) radiological monitoring survey of a recreation base located in a wooded area in the zone of radioactive contamination after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Local mechanical decontamination of the soil had been made on the territory of the base in 1997. The evaluation of the secondary radioactive contamination of the decontaminated territory was performed by comparing dynamics of the radiological situation at the treated plot and the control, nondecontaminated, part of the base according to four main criteria: 1) dose rate of gamma radiation in the air from cesium radionuclides; 2) inventory of 137Cs in soil; 3) vertical distribution of 137Cs in soil; 4) activity concentration of 137Cs in plants and fungi. In 1998, the value of the 137Cs inventory in the upper 20 cm of soil in the control part of the territory of the base and in the decontaminated plot was 930 kBq/m2 and 143 kBq/ m2, respectively. By 2015, the value of the 137Cs inventory in the control area and the decontaminated plot had significantly decreased: by 35% and 36%, respectively. A decrease in the dose rate of gamma radiation in the air at the decontaminated plot and control area proceeded at the same rate, which is currently mainly determined by the decay of 137Cs. There was a gradual self-restoration of the forest ecosystem at the plot subjected to decontamination. Activity concentration of 137Cs in biota (pine, edible mushrooms) in the treated plot was many times lower than that in the control part of the recreation base. In general, there was no significant secondary radioactive contamination of the decontaminated plot in the 24 years after the intervention.https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/952chernobyl accident137cssoilforestdecontaminationlong-term stabilitysecondary contamination
spellingShingle V. P. Ramzaev
A. N. Barkovsky
Assessment of secondary radioactive contamination of a decontaminated land plot located on the territory of a recreation base in a wooded area
Радиационная гигиена
chernobyl accident
137cs
soil
forest
decontamination
long-term stability
secondary contamination
title Assessment of secondary radioactive contamination of a decontaminated land plot located on the territory of a recreation base in a wooded area
title_full Assessment of secondary radioactive contamination of a decontaminated land plot located on the territory of a recreation base in a wooded area
title_fullStr Assessment of secondary radioactive contamination of a decontaminated land plot located on the territory of a recreation base in a wooded area
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of secondary radioactive contamination of a decontaminated land plot located on the territory of a recreation base in a wooded area
title_short Assessment of secondary radioactive contamination of a decontaminated land plot located on the territory of a recreation base in a wooded area
title_sort assessment of secondary radioactive contamination of a decontaminated land plot located on the territory of a recreation base in a wooded area
topic chernobyl accident
137cs
soil
forest
decontamination
long-term stability
secondary contamination
url https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/952
work_keys_str_mv AT vpramzaev assessmentofsecondaryradioactivecontaminationofadecontaminatedlandplotlocatedontheterritoryofarecreationbaseinawoodedarea
AT anbarkovsky assessmentofsecondaryradioactivecontaminationofadecontaminatedlandplotlocatedontheterritoryofarecreationbaseinawoodedarea