Assessments of radiological and toxicological risks from the use of groundwater and surface water in the zone of influence of the uranium production legacy site

Abstract

Radioactive and chemical contamination of groundwater and surface water (Konoplyanka and Dnipro Rivers) in the zone of influence of the soviet era uranium production legacy site - Prydniprovsky Chemical Plant (PChP, Kamianske) is a source of radiological and toxicological risks for the population. Modeled water use scenarios included drinking water consumption, crop irrigation, fishing, and usage of the river beaches for recreation. According to the assessment results, the radiological risks of water usage in current conditions are low. At the same time, a conservative assessment indicates potential future toxicological risks from uranium (use of groundwater for drinking) and from manganese (due to accumulation in river fish). In the long term, risks from groundwater may increase significantly due to the dispersion of contaminated groundwater plumes outside the industrial site, or due to unrestricted access of the population to the territory of the PChP. To reduce uncertainty in the risk assessment results, it is important to improve the groundwater monitoring network downstream from the PChP site and to collect site-specific data on manganese transfer coefficients to fish.