Abstract
In 2015–2016, 13 forest and 7 virgin grassland plots located in the south-western districts of the Bryansk region were surveyed. The aim of the work was to experimentally test the possibility of using a method for calculating the dose rate of gamma radiation in air in radioactively contaminated forests in a remote period after the Chernobyl accident. According to the results of gamma-spectrometric analysis of soil samples obtained at the sites in another study, the values of inventory and vertical distribution of 137Cs in the upper 20 cm layer were established. In this paper, these data were used to calculate the air kerma rate using a method taken from literature. In addition, at the sites of soil sampling, ambient dose equivalent rate in air was measured, and the contribution of 137Cs to the total gamma dose rate was determined with a field gamma spectrometer-dosemeter. The measured values of the ambient dose equivalent rate from 137Cs correlated positively and statistically significantly with the calculated values of the air kerma rate. The Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.989 (P < 0.01) for the location “forest” and 0.893 (P < 0.05) for the location “grassland”. There was no statistically significant difference between the “forest” and “grassland” locations when analyzing the ratio of the measured dose rate values to the calculated dose rate values (the Mann-Whitney U test, P > 0.05). Results of this work show that, when calculating gamma radiation dose rate in air in forests at a remote stage after the Chernobyl accident, it is enough to know the 137Cs inventory in the upper 20 cm soil layer and a detailed picture of vertical distribution of the radionuclide in this layer. The presence of woody biomass can be neglected. This dose rate estimate is conservative. However, a degree of overestimation of the dose rate in air is small, within +10%, which is quite acceptable for determining the external effective dose rate for an individual in the radioactively contaminated forest.
Highlights
В 2015–2016 гг. было обследовано 13 лесных и 7 целинных луговых участков, расположенных на территории юго-западных районов Брянской области
Measured ambient dose rate equivalent rate in air (ADERCs) and calculated air kerma rate (KRCs) due to 137Cs at the forest and grassland plots surveyed in the Bryansk region in 2015–2016]
Results of this work show that, when calculating gamma radiation dose rate in air in forests at a remote stage after the Chernobyl accident, it is enough to know the 137Cs inventory in the upper 20 cm soil layer and a detailed picture of vertical distribution of the radionuclide in this layer
Summary
Корреляция между расчетными и измеренными значениями мощности дозы гамма-излучения в воздухе в лесах, загрязненных. Целью работы являлась экспериментальная проверка возможности использования метода расчета мощности дозы гамма-излучения в воздухе в радиоактивно загрязненных лесах на отдаленном этапе после Чернобыльской аварии. Результаты настоящей работы показывают, что при вычислении мощности дозы гамма-излучения в воздухе в лесу на отдаленном этапе после Чернобыльской аварии достаточно знать величину запаса 137Cs в верхнем 20-сантиметровом слое почвы и подробную картину вертикального распределения радионуклида в этом слое. Отчетливое доминирование радиоцезия, находящегося в почве, в формировании гамма-поля излучения в воздухе в лесу на отдаленном этапе после выпадений теоретически позволяют использовать упрощенную модель для вычисления мощности дозы в воздухе. Цель исследования – экспериментальная проверка возможности использования одного из опубликованных методов расчета мощности дозы гамма-излучения в воздухе в радиоактивно загрязненных лесах спустя 30 лет после Чернобыльской аварии. – определить соотношения между расчетным значением мощности воздушной кермы и измеренным значением мощности амбиентного эквивалента дозы гаммаизлучения 137Cs на открытой местности и в лесу
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