Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

V. A. Prylypko¹, M. M. Morozova¹, I. V. Bondarenko¹, O. O. Pelukh², Yu. Yu. Ozerova¹

¹State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical
  Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
²Manufacturing Facility «South!Ukrainian NPP», Yuzhnoukrainsk city, Mykolaiv Region, 55000, Ukraine

ECOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS IN THE FORMATION OF THE POPULATION’S ATTITUDE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR ENERGY

Objective. Evaluation of the key environmental determinants that shape the response of the social environment to the activities of nuclear power plants.
Materials and methods. The poll was conducted in the observation zone (OZ) of the South-Ukrainian NPP (SUNPP). A repetition-free probabilistic selection was used in the population survey. The sample of respondents from the population of the SUNPP OZ was 322 people with the sampling error of 5.4 % and confidence interval of 95.0%. An ordinal 5-point measurement scale was used to assess the quality of life and anxiety, and nominal measurement scales were used for other issues. All the age groups of population from 20 to 65 years were taken into account. The sociohygienic, sociological, statistical and mathematical research methods were applied in the process of work (relative values, averages, reliability of paired differences according to Student’s t test).
Results. The level of perception of radiation risk by the population of the NPP OZ was the lowest among respondents of satellite cities of Rivne NPP (RNPP) and SUNPP compared to the population of rural settlements and cities of the OZ. Storage and shipment of radioactive waste are the determinant among the factors that form an environmental threat to the population of OZ as a result of NPP activities. Social factors that determine the assessment of environmental safety of NPP activities are employment at the NPP, place of residence, gender, age, level of education of the population, etc. The «Ch-image» of the ecological catastrophe formed in the population of Ukraine as a result of the ChNPP accident , regardless of the place of residence on the territory of Ukraine, influences behavior, formation of plans and assessments, especially in population living near the ionizing radiation sources.
Conclusion. The current legislation governing the relationship between functioning NPPs and the communities in which they are located needs to be improved, guided by the basic principle of environmental public health - social justice, i.e. the human right to a healthy environment. It means that the settlements of the OZ (communities) receive funds to compensate for risk living in compliance with certain safety rules to maintain health. Legal regulation and constant awareness of population are the main directions for the formation of adequate assessments.
Key words: NPP observation zone, social environment, radiation factors, NPP environmental safety.

Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology.
2020;25:249-264. doi: 10.33145/2304-8336-2020-25-249-264

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