The Coastal Technical Base (CTB) №569 at Andreeva Bay was established in the early 1960s and intended for the refueling of nuclear submarine reactors and temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and radioactive waste (RW). In 2001, the base was transferred to the Russian Ministry for Atomic Energy and the site remediation began. The paper describes in detail the radiation situation change at the technical site in Andreeva Bay from 2002–2016, the period of preparation for the most critical phase of remedial work: removal of spent fuel assemblies. The analysis of aggregated indicators and data mining were used. The article suggests the best number and location of checkpoints needed to ensure sufficient accuracy of the radiation situation description. The fractal properties of the radiation field are studied using the Hurst index. The relationship between checkpoints was assessed using the method of searching for checkpoint communities. The decrease in the integral of the ambient dose equivalent rate (ADER) at the technical site was evaluated by the method of time series decomposition. Three components of time series were identified: trend, seasonal and residual. The trend of the ADER integral over the technical site is a monotonic decreasing function, where the initial and final values differ tenfold. Taking into account that 137Cs dominates the radiation situation on-site, it is clear that the ADER due to the radionuclide decay will have decreased by 1.4 times. It is estimated that only a small proportion of 137Cs has migrated off-site. Therefore, approximately a sevenfold decrease in dose rate is mainly due to remediation activities of personnel. During the year, the seasonal component varies the ADER integral by a factor of two, due to snowfall. The residual component reflects the uncertainty of the ADER integral calculation and phases of active SNF and RW management. The methods developed are used to support the optimization of remediation work as well as regulatory supervision of occupational radiation protection.
Studies to enhance radiation and health monitoring at legacy sites are relevant and fall in the responsibilities of FMBA of Russia, which provides medical and health-care support to employees of enterprises under the State Corporation Rosatom, as well as the population living near these enterprises. The paper reviews data of long-term radiation and health monitoring (2005-2016) at nuclear and uranium legacy sites in Russia and the Central Asia countries, the methodical guidance of which was performed by State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation - A.I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center. The experience gained during the research allowed us identify the actual areas for the further work: the need for a comprehensive study to assess all significant risk factors to be evaluated; unification of collection and collation of radio-ecological data; improvement of the radiation protection system, taking into account international recommendations and methodological approaches to assessing the health conditions of the population.
Purpose: To present the methods and results of studies of the factors of radiation exposure to workers involved in the manufacture of mixed uranium-plutonium nitride (MUPN) fuel at the complex experimental installations CEI-1 and CEI-2 of JSC SChC. Material and Methods: Regularities of the formation of external exposure doses have been revealed based on the study of the dynamics of the ambient dose equivalent rate (ADER) of photon and neutron radiation at the CEI-1 and CEI-2 workplaces, as well as instrumental individual dosimetric control of the equivalent doses to workers. In order to assess the inhalation intake and possible doses from internal irradiation, studies of the physicochemical properties of radioactive aerosols were carried out. Results: It has been found that the main sources of penetrating radiation in the premises of CEI-1 are boxes where tablets are pressed, chips and rejected tablets are crushed, as well as temporary storage of products is occurred. The highest ADER values have been measured in those boxes, where the radiation exposure was due to radioactive contamination caused by past activity, and is not associated with fabrication of MUPN fuel. A significant contribution of neutron exposure to individual doses of workers was measured, which exceeded the contribution of gamma exposure at some workplaces of the CEI-1. At CEI-2, a non-functioning exhaust ventilation pipe passing over the premises was found to be a powerful source of external radiation. This pipe contained a significant amount of radioactive material. Assessment of the contribution of gamma exposure from the ventilation pipe to the external exposure of workers reached 85% at some workplaces. Studies of the physicochemical properties of radioactive aerosols have revealed a high reactivity of MUPN compounds, leading to instant oxidation of the thoracic fraction of MUPN fuel aerosols under contact with air. The complex morphological and dispersed composition of aerosol particles in combination with a complex chemical composition caused by the aging processes of aerosols, can lead to a fundamental difference in the biokinetics of MUPN aerosols, the process of dose formation and, consequently, the degree of radiological hazard compared to those adopted in the ICRP models for U and Pu. The results of the current radiation-hygienic research are of a preliminary nature, since the object of this research is an experimental installation, which was used to develop a new technology for the production of MUPN fuel. The instrumental and methodological approaches to assess the factors of radiation exposure to workers tested at these experimental installations, will be used in the future to conduct similar studies during the pilot industrial operation of new modules for fabricating and refurbishing of MUPN fuel.
The main achievements of the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation - A.I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center in some key scientific areas are submitted data based on the presentation at the extended meeting of the Board of the Federal Medical Biological Agency “Results of the activity of the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation - A. I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of the Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia in 2016 and prospects for 2017-2018”. The principal attention is focused on hygienic and and radiobiological areas of research.
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