Open AccessRadiation monitoring of drinking water in the vicinity of the Beloyarsk NPP
Author(s) -
А. В. Панов,
А. В. Трапезников,
А. В. Коржавин,
И. В. Гешель,
С. В. Коровин,
М. А. Эдомская
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
radiacionnaâ gigiena
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.254
H-Index - 5
ISSN - 1998-426X
DOI - 10.21514/1998-426x-2021-14-1-86-101
Subject(s) - radionuclide , environmental science , tap water , population , water source , effective dose (radiation) , environmental chemistry , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental engineering , chemistry , nuclear medicine , environmental health , water resource management , geology , physics , nuclear physics , medicine , geotechnical engineering
The article provides a radiation-hygienic assessment of the current state of drinking water supply sources for the population in the observation area of the the Beloyarsk NPP and the Institute of Nuclear Materials. We determined the content of natural ( 234 U, 238 U, 226 Ra, 228 Ra, 210 Po, 222 Rn, 210 Pb, 228 Th, 230 Th, 232 Th) and technogenic ( 3 H, 14 C, 60 Co, 90 Sr, 134 Cs, 137 Cs, 238 Pu, 239,240 Pu, 241 Am) radionuclides in drinking water of tap water, water boreholes and water wells in test settlements located at different distances and directions from radiation hazardous facilities. Results of monitoring of water sources in 2012–2013 and 2019 showed the radiation safety of drinking water in the vicinity of the Beloyarsk NPP according to several criteria. Thus, the maximum levels of the gross specific alpha-activity of radionuclides in water samples were 3.9 times lower than the control level (0.2 Bq/kg), the gross specific beta-activity was 5.7 times lower than the control level (1 Bq/ kg). Over the entire observation period, none of the drinking water samples exceeded the control levels both for individual radionuclides and for the sum of the ratios of specific activities to control levels. The content of natural and artificial radionuclides in drinking water near the Beloyarsk NPP decreases in the following order: water wells > water boreholes > tap water. For the past 20 years, there was a decrease in tritium specific activity in drinking water of the Beloyarsk NPP region by 20–35%, depending on the source of water supply. It was noted that the launch of the BN-800 reactor also did not lead to an increase in the content of other artificial radionuclides ( 90 Sr, 137 Cs) in groundwater. The average annual effective dose of internal exposure of the population due to drinking water consumption in the vicinity of the Beloyarsk NPP is 0.05 mSv, according to conservative estimates – 0.07 mSv, which is below the radiation safety threshold (0.1 mSv/a) recommended by the WHO. Natural radionuclides play the primary role in the formation of the annual average effective dose for internal irradiation (98.9%) due to drinking water consumption on the considered territories. 210 Po makes the largest contribution to the dose from natural radioisotopes – 43%, somewhat less is made by 210 Pb – 25%. The third place in the dose formation from natural radionuclides belongs to 234 U (8%), 228 Ra (7%), 226 Ra (6%) and 230 Th (6%). The contribution of other natural radioisotopes in the formation of the internal radiation dose from drinking water consumption does not exceed 2-3%. The contribution of technogenic radionuclides to the annual average effective dose from the consumption of drinking water is negligible (about 1%). Of the technogenic components, 90 Sr (60%), 3 H (20%), and 241 Am (12%) play the most significant role in the formation of the internal exposure dose.