Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

V. A. Prylypko¹, M. M. Morozova¹, Yu. Yu. Ozerova¹, A. V. Gryshan², O. O. Pelukh²

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 «Pivdennoukrainska NPP», Yuzhnoukrainsk city, Mykolaivska Oblast, 55000,
Ukraine

TIME PATTERN OF RADIONUCLIDE EMISSIONS AND DISCHARGES INTO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE PIVDENNOUKRAINSKA NPP SURVEILLANCE ZONE

Objective: assessment of impact of operation of the Pivdennoukrainska Nuclear Power Plant (PUNPP) on the environment of surveillance zone (SZ) based on parameters of radiation monitoring within 2015–2021 period.
Methods: socio-hygienic (analysis of the radiation monitoring parameters), analytical, statistical.
Results. The environmental radiation impact associated with emissions and discharges of radioactive substances originated in the production cycle of the PUNPP in everyday conditions was found as insignificant. The gas-aerosol atmospheric emissions of inert radioactive gases, long-lived nuclides, and ¹³¹I did not exceed the established permissible levels (PL) and amounted to a hundredth of a percent of the emission limit (EL) for the inert radioactive gases and long-lived nuclides, and a thousandth of a percent for radioactive iodine. Total atmospheric emissions of the ⁵¹Cr, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁹Fe, ⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁰Co, ⁹⁰Sr, ⁹⁵Zr, ⁹⁵Nb, ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs, and 3Н radionuclides by the PUNPP power units (actual and % of EL) did not exceed the established PL. Maximum average values of atmospheric air concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in SZ for the 2015–2021 period ranged from 2.858 μBq/m3 (PUNPP industrial site) to 1.986 μBq/m³ (Riabokoneve village, 33.5 km distance), and maximum average values of the ⁹⁰Sr air concentration were from 1.310 μBq/m3 to 0.566 μBq/m3, respectively. According to radionuclide monitoring no significant change of the quality of surface water occurred upon the PUNPP discharges to the Pivdennyi Bug River. Specific activity of the ¹³⁷Сs in agricultural products in the PUNPP SZ was insignificant and not exceeding the PL of the content in food products. Content of ¹³⁷Cs in the samples from the PUNPP SZ did not exceed 1.0 % of the total activity.
Conclusion. Average concentration of radionuclides in atmospheric air of the settlements in the PUNPP SZ was several orders of magnitude lower than that established by regulatory documents. The PUNPP discharges to the Pivdennyi Bug River, according to radionuclide parameters that are monitored, have not significantly changed the quality of surface water. The content of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs was uniform in all observation radii of distance from the NPP, confirming the very low level of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs environmental emission by the PUNPP. The content of ¹³⁷Cs in agricultural products within the PUNPP SZ was significantly lower than PL.
Key words: environment, NPP surveillance zone, radioecological monitoring.

Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology.
2023;28:158-175. doi: 10.33145/2304-8336-2023-28-158-175

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