Evaluation of Environmental Damage Due to Nuclear Power

Abstract

A methodology is presented for evaluating on the basis of the criterion of maintaining a healthy environment the environmental damage due to the exposure of biota to radiation. The damage is determined in accordance with the regulatory and procedural documents pertaining to environmental protection above the environmentally safe dose rate of chronic radiation exposure of representative forms of fauna (1 mGy/day) and flora (10 mGy/day). A damage evaluation for a hypothetical scenario of elevated radiation exposure of the biota near a radiological object is presented. The methodology developed can be used to validate the classing of radioactive wastes as special and to plan measures for protecting the environment when using atomic energy.