Determination of Radiation Exposure to Iodine-131 Emissions During Normal Operation of the Industrial Reactor Installation at Fsue “PO Mayak” Taking into Account Physical and Chemical Forms

Abstract

The determination of the physicochemical forms of radioiodine in the gas-air environment of an industrial nuclear reactor is necessary to solve related problems – technological control and radiation safety. In the technological context, the results obtained make it possible to adequately assess the efficiency of purification of emissions of radioactive iodine isotopes, the choice of instruments and methods for controlling emissions. In the context of radiation safety, research results make it possible to correctly assess the radiation effects on the environment and humans, substantiation of emission standards for the atmosphere and confirmation of the safety of operation of an industrial reactor installation. The research method is based on the difference in the deposition of radioiodine on a set of one AFA-RMP aerosol filter and six filters of the AFA-SI type, which makes it possible to separately determine the 131I aerosol, easily and hardly sorbed form. It has been shown that the non-purified gas-aerosol mixture mainly contains radioactive iodine in the form of gaseous hardly adsorbed compounds. For 131I, the most probable percentage in volumetric activity of hardly adsorbed, easily adsorbed compounds and iodine aerosols was obtained. Based on the data obtained, an assessment of dose loads was carried out taking into account the annual emissions of the reactor installation and weather conditions. A conservative approach to assessing the radiation exposure of 131I emissions is 47 times higher than the assessment taking into account its physicochemical forms.