Radiation accident of 1957 and Eastern-Urals radioactive trace: analysis of measurement data and laboratory experiments

Windscale and Kyshtym: a double anniversary

“…Published data on the release from Kyshtym (e.g. UNSCEAR, 1993) seem to be largely derivative of the original Soviet report to the IAEA (Nikipelov et al, 1989), with confirmation of the 90 Sr release from environmental inventories (Aarkrog et al, 1997;Avramenko et al, 2000). Table 1 provides comparative data on the magnitude and composition of the two releases.…”

“…At Kyshtym, the accident involved highly active liquid fission product wastes that had been stored for more than six months, and from which 137 Cs had been separated (Kabakchi et al, 1995;Avramenko et al, 2000). Consequently, the inventory of fission products with short halflives was low, and no 131 I was present.…”

“…Until the 1990s, the results of this research were confined to the relatively inaccessible Russian language literature but they are now becoming more widely available through an increasing number of international collaborative projects and English language publications from the Russian institutes (Christensen et al, 1997;Kryshev et al, 1998;Avramenko et al, 2000;Monte et al, 2002;Kryshev, 2003;Sazykina and Kryshev, 2006). There is no doubt that much more can be done, and the East Urals Radioactive Trace remains as an area in which substantial radioecological research should continue.…”

Normal axial skeleton structure in common roach Rutilus rutilus (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae) and malformations due to radiation contamination in the area of the Mayak (Chelyabinsk Province, Russia) nuclear plant

“…1. Many articles have described the environmental situation in and around Mayak area and along the Techa River downstream of the nuclear plant and some of the radiological consequences of this contamination (Trapeznikov et al , 1993, 1994; Wakerley, 1995; Christensen et al , 1997; Kryshev et al , 1997; Avramenko et al , 2000; Standring et al , 2002; Sadovnikov et al , 2003; Børretzen et al , 2005). The principal situation that has led to environmental contamination in the area are the following: (1) discharge of large quantities of liquid radioactive waste into the Techa River (originating from Lake Irtyash, Tobol–Irtysh system, Ob’ River drainage) in 1949–1956, (2) explosion in 1957 of a tank containing high level liquid radioactive waste, leading to the contamination of an area of c. 20 000 km 2 ; this is known as the Kyshtym accident; large‐scale territorial contamination caused by this accident is known as the East Urals Radioactive Trace, (3) wind resuspension in 1967 of exposed Lake Karachay sediments, which was a storage pond for liquid radioactive waste, that led to the dispersal of 20 TBq of radioactive dust around the installation and (4) radioactive waste in water bodies in the Techa Cascade Reservoirs (TCR).…”

“…1. Many articles have described the environmental situation in and around Mayak area and along the Techa River downstream of the nuclear plant and some of the radiological consequences of this contamination (Trapeznikov et al, 1993(Trapeznikov et al, , 1994Wakerley, 1995;Christensen et al, 1997;Kryshev et al, 1997;Avramenko et al, 2000;Standring et al, 2002;Sadovnikov et al, 2003;Børretzen et al, 2005). The principal situation that has led to environmental contamination in the area are the following:…”