Residual Radioactivity in the Soil of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in the Former USSR

Abstract

This paper deals with our efforts to survey residual radioactivity in the soil sampled at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and at off-site areas in Kazakhstan. The soil was sampled at the hypocenter where the first Soviet nuclear explosion was carried out on 29 August 1949, and at the bank of the crater called "Bolapan," which was formed by an underground nuclear detonation on 15 January 1965 along the Shagan River. As a comparison, other soil was also sampled in the cities of Kurchatov and Almaty. These data have allowed a preliminary evaluation of the contemporary radioactive contamination of the land in and around the test site. At the first nuclear explosion site and at Bolapan, higher than background levels of 239,240Pu with weapons-grade plutonium were detected together with fission and activation products such as 137Cs, 60Co, 152Eu, and 154Eu.

Radionuclide Contamination at Kazakhstan's Semipalatinsk Test Site: Implications on Human and Ecological Health

“…Residual soil activity at the STS reported by Dubasov (1997) was lower in all cases than those reported by Shebell and Hutter (1998) and Yamamoto et al (1996) As measured for gamma radiation. In this case, the absorbed dose as measured by µGy is equivalent to the effective dose as measured by µSv.…”

“…Some information exists suggesting that plants at the test site can hyperaccumlate radionuclides (Abenovna 2000). Yamamoto et al (1996) present some evidence that the residual activity within the site is tightly bound to the soil as a result of extreme heating and melting of the soils during the tests, suggesting the potential for plant uptake to be minimal. However, Shebell and Hutter 1998 show that activity has migrated from the surface, with samples collected from a depth of 10-15 cm showing the greatest activity in many cases.…”

Kazakhstan: a folate-deficient area?

“…In this study, we collected blood samples in Semipalatinsk, located in the eastern part of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This region includes the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Testing Site (SNTS), where a total of 459 nuclear explosions were officially conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1949 to 1989 (Yamamoto et al, 1996). Among the population residing near the SNTS, serious concerns still exist about the genetic effects of radiation exposure, such as congenital anomalies.…”

Pu isotopes and137Cs in the surrounding areas of the former Soviet Union's Semipalatinsk nuclear test site

“…3-6 Previously, we reported the current radioactive contamination levels of the land from 137Cs and Pu isotopes within the territory of the test site. [7][8][9] We collected further soil samples on residual radioactivity measurements and brick samples on thermoluminescence dosimetry measurements at the areas outside the territory of the test site, including some settlements of Mostik, Dolon, Chagan and so on, where * E-mail: pluto@kenroku.kanazawa-u.ac.jp…”