Radioactive Contamination of the Techa River, the Urals

Abstract

The Techa River in the Urals was contaminated with high-level radioactive waste from the MAJAK nuclear installation around 1950. The total discharge to the river amounted to 100 PBq with 90Sr and 137Cs contributing approximately 10 PBq each. This study has shown that the river presently contains approximately 0.3 TBq 90Sr, > 6 TBq 137Cs, and approximately 8 GBq 239,240Pu. The estimates were made for the part of the river starting 50 km from the point of discharge and ending 240 km downstream at the confluence with the Iset River. Radioactivity was measured only in the upper 0.10-m sediments layer. The external dose rates from the contamination range from 0.1-30 microGy h-1. The activity concentrations decrease exponentially or by power functions with distance.

Radionuclide transfer to freshwater biota species: review of Russian language studies

“…CR values are given for vascular plant. Trapeznikov et al (1993) 60 Co, 90 Sr, 137 Cs, Pu isotopes CR values were measured for vascular plants and benthic fish of the Techa river contaminated by highly radioactive wastes from the "Mayak" plant. Francevich et al (1995) 90 Sr, 95 Nb, 103e106 Ru, 131 I, 134e137 Cs,140 La,140 Ba CR values for mollusc samples given for the water bodies around Chernobyl NPP and for the Dnieper river for the period 1986e1989.…”

“…Kulikov and Molchanova (1975), Kulikov and Kulikova (1977), Zesenko and Kulebyakina (1982), Trapeznikov et al (1993), Gudkov et al (2005), Trapeznikov (2001) Kulikov and Chebotina (1988) 137 Cs Field 33 (6.0 AE 9.5) Â 10 2 Dushauskene-Duzh (1969), Kulikov and Molchanova (1975), Kulikov and Kulikova (1977), Antonenko (1978), Zesenko and Kulebyakina (1982), Trapeznikova et al (1984), Vintsukevich and Tomilin (1987), Kulikov and Chebotina (1988), Trapeznikov et al (1993), Trapeznikov (2001), Gudkov et al (2005), Trapeznikov (2001) Egorov and Suzdaleva (2005) As mentioned earlier, the whole-body CR data for benthic fish derived from the ERICA review are much higher than corresponding data derived from the Russian literature sources. The exception was 90 Sr, for which the mean CR value for both laboratory and field studies given in Table 7 were two orders of magnitude higher than that presented in Hosseini et al (2008).…”

“…AE 6.8) Â 10 2Timofeeva-Resovskay (1963),Dushauskene-Duzh (1969),Marchulenene and Nyanishkene (1976),Kulikov and Molchanova (1975),,Lubimova (1978),Vintsukevich and Tomilin (1987),Trapeznikov et al (1993), Fetisov et al (1993,Trapeznikov et al (2000),Trapeznikov (2001),Gudkov et al (2001),Levina et al (2005),Gudkov et al (2005), Smagin(2006),Levina et al (2006a,b),…”

Retrospective and emergency dosimetry in response to radiological incidents and nuclear mass-casualty events: A review

“…Discharges of radioactive waste (100 PBq; Trapeznikov et al, 1993) into the Techa River system from the Mayak Nuclear Materials Production Complex facility between 1949 and 1956, which peaked during the period 1950-51, gave rise to a potentially serious radiological hazard to populations of riparian settlements located downstream of the facility. In particular, the closest settlement through which the river flowed, Metlino, was located only 7 km from the point of release, and the riverbanks, contaminated with 90 Sr,137 Cs and other radionuclides, were frequently used as a recreation area (Degteva et al, 1994).…”

Radionuclide contamination of sediment deposits in the Ob and Yenisey estuaries and areas of the Kara Sea

“…During this period over 100 PBq of radioactive material was discharged into Reservoir 3 which, along with Reservoir 4 acted as a sedimentation pond, before discharges flowed into the River Techa (Malyshev et al, 1997;JNREG, 1997;Strand et al, 1999). This caused severe contamination along the entire length of the River Techa (Trapeznikov et al, 1993;Bradley and Jenquin, 1995).…”