Вопросы установления нормативов радиационной безопасности объектов живой природы, в том числе при обращении с радиоактивными отходами

Abstract

Although some regulatory requirements are available in Russia to ensure and demonstrate the radiation safety of the environment including those covering the atomic energy sector, still no criteria establishing the safe levels of radionuclide concentrations in the environment have been approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. Threshold concentrations in the environment established to protect human health have been largely used as such criteria. The experience gained shows that in some cases due to the radioactive contamination of the environment, certain biological species received higher radiation doses compared to humans. In 2014, a methodology was developed to assess the radiation damage caused to the environment at RW storage facilities taking into account relevant international recommendations. Safe level of non-human biota exposure of 1 mGy/d was established for mammals, vertebrates and pine trees as a criteria providing favorable environment and radioecological safety, whereas relevant value for the rest of flora organisms and invertebrates was taken equal to 10 mGy/d. In 2016, Roshydromet approved the recommendations on a procedure developed to calculate the reference levels of radionuclide concentrations in the environmental components taking into account relevant testing methods. The experience gained from the testing of environmentally safe levels proposed in these papers can be used to develop and adopt environmental quality standards. In the near future, environmental quality standards should be developed and approved to implement the provisions of the Federal Law No. 7 and relevant decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation which will be aimed at preserving the wildlife and the gene pool of plants, animals and other living organisms.