Radioecological situation in certain areas of the Southern Federal District

Abstract

Radioecological monitoring of natural and urban areas is intended not only to assess the consequences of the operation of nuclear fuel energy enterprises, but also to ensure radiation safety of humans and the environment. This type of research allows not only to identify areas with increased background radiation, but also to reduce social tension in the population associated with radiophobia. This paper presents the results of long-term studies of the ambient dose equivalent rate (ADR) of gamma radiation within urban and rural settlements of the Southern Federal District using the example of the Krasnodar Territory. ADR measurements were carried out at a height of 100 cm from the earth's surface using dosimeters-radiometers SRP-88n, DRBP-03 and DKS-96s with a detection unit BDKS-96s using pedestrian gamma survey methods. The study regions represent different types of landscapes: steppe plain territories, the foothills of the North Caucasus and the Black Sea coast. It is shown that the arithmetic average ADR values in urban conditions are 0.11 μSv/h, and in rural settlements – 0.14 μSv/h. Similar results may be due to differences in soil and climatic conditions in different settlements. In general, differences in gamma radiation ADR may be due to a greater extent to measurement uncertainty (standard deviation), and also, to a lesser extent, to relief features and the content of radionuclides in the soils of a given region. The radiation situation in the Krasnodar Territory at the time of the study complies with the requirements of SanPiN 2.6.1.2612-10. The gamma radiation equivalent dose rate values are within the limits of natural background fluctuations characteristic of the Russian Federation.