Analysis and Prognosis of Radiation Exposure Following the Accident at the Siberian Chemical Combine Tomsk-7

Abstract

Publication date: 1994 Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link back to DTU Orbit Citation (APA):Vakulovski, S. M., Shershakov, V. M., Borodin, R. V., Vozzhennikov, O. I., Gaziev, Y. I., Kosykh, V. S., ... Chumichev, V. B. (1994). Analysis and prognosis of radiation exposure following the accident at the Siberian chemical combine No. 750(EN) Abstract On the basis of the work (ground investigations and gamma aerial surveys) carried out jointly by the Rosgidromet organizations and Berezovgeologiya, data on the radiation exposure in Russia were obtained shortly after the accident of April 6, 1993 already. These data were transmitted to interested institutions.The measurements performed on April 11 and 12,1993 indicated that within the isolines of 10 /iR/h a contaminated area of up to 25 km in length and up to 6 km in width extended towards the northeastern direction. Thus, the contaminated area outside of the premises of the combine covered about 100 km 2 . The total amount of radioactive substances in this area was 530 -590 Ci. Isotope composition of the radioactive trace was determined by ruthenium-103 (1%), ruthenium-106 (31%), zirconium-95 (22%), niobium-95 (45%) and plutonium-239 (0.02%).Contamination heterogeneity is caused by the existence of "hot" particles with an activity of up to 10-11 Ci/particle.In the contaminated area the gamma exposure rate varied between 14 and 42 /iR/h at 1 m height, yielding the maximum external radiation dose 100 mrem/year for the population of Georgievka. The Pu-239 inhalation dose of the population of Georgievka when passing the radioactive cloud did not exceed 1.5 mrem.A prognosis was made with regard to water contamination of the rivers Samuska and Tom during the flood in spring. Furthermore, contamination of the air layer adjacent to the ground resulting from the wind transport of radionuclides in the summer months at Georgievka was predicted. The values were far below the limits fixed according to the valid radiation protection regulations. However, that radionuclide concentration of the snow water may exceed the limits specified for drinking water.According to the data measured by the meteorological stations, the radioactive products were not entrained beyond the borders of the country. Source estimation was successfully obtained using RIMPUFF, the Rise on-line puff diffusion model, in backfitting mode.The basic translation of this report from Russian into English was done by the translation office at Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany.

Kinetics of systemic ruthenium in human blood using a stable tracer

“…Longley and Templeton [3] report that about 60% of the beta activity released into the environment from aqueous wastes may be due to the nuclides of ruthenium. Radioisotopes of this element were also released in considerable amounts by the Chernobyl accident: their activity concentrations in the air and on the ground were similar to those of 131 I and 137 Cs [4][5][6][7][8]; the same was also found after other, although less dramatic, accidents [9,10]. Measurements of the deposition pattern of radioruthenium throughout Europe after the Chernobyl accident showed that these radionuclides were emitted in particulate form at the time of the explosion as well as in volatile form during the burning phase of the accident [11].…”