Impact of Radionuclide Discharges From Temelín Nuclear Power Plant on the Vltava River (Czech Republic)

Abstract

Temelin Nuclear Power Plant (Temelin plant) is located on the upper Vltava River in south Bohemia. The Vltava is an important resource of drinking water for Prague. Its water affects also quality of the Elbe River on the territory of both the Czech Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. Since 1989, possible impacts of the Temelin plant have been studied in a number of research projects. The first two projects (Hanslik, 1995, Hanslik, 1998) were sponsored by the Czech Ministry of the Environment and its main objectives were to examine pre-operational environmental conditions (a reference level) in terms of concentrations of radioactive and nonradioactive polluting substances in components of the environment, particularly in the hydrosphere, and to predict possible impacts of future operation of the Temelin plant. Special attention paid to the hydrosphere was associated with requirements for protection of water quality in the Vltava River. The observation and research activities continued during the period 1999-2008 within the framework of a project sponsored by Czech Power Company (Hanslik, 1999a, 2000, 2001a, 2002, 2003, 2004a, 2005a, 2006a, 2007, 2008). These studies subsequently continued in a project on Research and protection of hydrosphere – research of relationships and processes in water component of the environment focused on impacts of human pressures, the sustainable use and protection of the hydrosphere and legislative tools (MZP 0002071101 and SP/2e7/229/07 sponsored by the Czech Ministry of the Environment). The main objectives of these projects were to assess the impacts of waste water discharged from the Temelin plant on the activities of tritium, radio caesium and strontium in hydrosphere, to compare these impacts with the residual contamination from the atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons and the Chernobyl accident in the last century and to evaluate long-term spatial and temporal trends in the activities of these radionuclides that have been monitored at sampling sites not affected and affected by the outflow of waste water from the Temelin plant. Specific results of these projects have been reported in technical journals and international conferences (Hanslik et al., 1999b, Hanslik et al., 2001b, Hanslik et al., 2005b, Hanslik et al., 2009a-c, Ivanovova & Hanslik, 2009a-b). This Chapter reviews and summarises the main results of the projects. 15