Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident Research Articles

Exploring Domestic Reasons for Cooperation on the Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Project

As a result of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986, the British public generally has a negative attitude towards nuclear power, coupled with the lobbying of Greenpeace and other organizations opposed to nuclear energy. Since the completion of the Sizewell B nuclear power plant in 1995, the UK has not built a single new nuclear power plant and has been lagging behind in nuclear energy construction. With climate change and security of supply issues coming to the fore, it was not until the 2006 Energy White Paper that the government put nuclear energy back on the agenda. It took another decades of planning, review and approval before the UK finally signed an agreement with Electricité de France for the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in 2016. The UK has not built a new nuclear power project for more than 20 years, and this paper analyzes the attitudinal preferences of different actors within the UK behind the cooperation on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project, based on an understanding of the context and current situation of the UK in terms of climate change and security of energy supply.

Dynamics of radioactive contamination of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) in the forests of Zhytomyr Polissia (Ukraine) since the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident

The article presents results of study of levels of radioactive soil contamination and 137Cs activity concentration in the aboveground part of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) phytomass and berries on permanent experimental plots in different years since the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident (forest site type conditions — moist fairly infertile pine site type (B3), soils — soddy-podzolic sandy-loam on fluvioglacial sands). The research was conducted at the Poliskyi Branch of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration named after G.M. Vysotsky over the years 1998–2021, utilized methods generally accepted in forest science and radioecology were used. Results were processed using statistical analysis. To substantiate the research, an official reporting data from forestry enterprises of the Volyn, Rivne and Zhytomyr regions were used. An analytical review of the state of research on this problem revealed that at the last 10–15 years there were no scientific publications on the study of 137Cs contamination of lingonberry. It was demonstrated that there was significant reduction in the density of radioactive soil contamination and 137Cs activity concentration in the aboveground part of lingonberry phytomass and berries in the forests of the research region over the observation period. It was found that the main part of the total 137Cs activity is currently located in the upper (10 cm) layer of the mineral part of the soil — 74.7% where root systems of herbaceous and dwarf-shrub species are concentrated in forest ecosystems. It was established that a considerable content of the radionuclide is retained in the aboveground part of lingonberry phytomass even with low density of radioactive soil contamination. It was found that in 1998, at relatively low value of soil 137Cs contamination density (49±5.6 kBq∙m–2), specific activity of 137Cs in aboveground phytomass of lingonberry was 8043±511 Bq∙kg–1, while in 2021 (value of soil 137Cs contamination density 22±0.3 kBq∙m–2) — 1046±182 Bq∙kg–1. The values of radionuclide transfer coefficients in 1998 were quite significant and varied within wide range: in the air-dry aboveground phytomass from 33.4 to 164.1 m2∙kg–1∙10–3 and in the fresh berries, from 9.5 to 26.0 m2∙kg–1∙10–3. Dependencies between density of radioactive soil contamination and the content of 137Cs in the aboveground part of lingonberry phytomass and berries were calculated, which can be applied in the practice of their harvesting. It was found that lingonberry belongs to the group of plants characterized by the high content of 137Cs in the aboveground vegetative phytomass. Harvesting of lingonberry leaves for the production of medicinal products should be restricted in all areas contaminated with 137Cs. Lingonberry fresh berries can be harvested in areas with a radioactive soil contamination density up to 74 kBq∙m–2.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICAL THINKING IN PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES AND ENSURING THE FUNCTIONING OF THE ECONOMY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The deterioration of the majority of ecosystems in the biosphere, significant reduction in bioproductivity and biodiversity, catastrophic depletion of soils and mineral resources due to unprecedented pollution of the Earth's surface, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, are all linked to the intensive growth of the global population and the development of scientific and technological progress over the past 50 years. The necessity to meet the ever-increasing needs of human society has led to a tremendous expansion of economic activities, changes in the proportions of the world economy, production capacities, techniques, and technologies, as well as the variety of products and consumption patterns. The production and consumption models that have emerged in the world no longer correspond to the conditions of sustainable coexistence between humans and nature. The analysis of the state of the natural environment indicates that in recent years, there have been no significant positive shifts in the ecological situation, and in some areas, it has even worsened. The high concentration of industry and agriculture, along with ecologically unjustified economic activities, have made Ukraine one of the most environmentally troubled countries in Europe. The situation was significantly exacerbated by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident and the armed conflict in Ukraine. The aim of the article is to develop of ecological thinking involves aligning human practical activities with the laws of nature and ensuring that the economy operates in accordance with the requirements of environmental preservation. The study of human ecology is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on a clearly defined and specific set of issues. In its research, it utilizes both general scientific methods (grounded in philosophical and general scientific principles) and specific methods (characteristic of certain fields of scientific activity). General scientific methods include empirical research methods (observation, measurement, comparison) and empirical-theoretical methods (abstraction, analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, analogy, modeling) as well as theoretical methods (ascending from abstract to concrete, forecasting, systematic approach). The most specific method used in the study of human ecology is anthropoecological monitoring, a system of observations of changes in human life processes in connection with environmental factors' impact on them. It also involves monitoring and evaluating environmental conditions that negatively affect population health and contribute to the spread of diseases. The article systematizes the main threats to economic security in Ukraine and describes their main consequences. In further research, the author's efforts will be focused on the development of measures to neutralize the impact of these threats on the ecological security of Ukraine.

Iodine in soils, pasture vegetation cuttings, and local food products of certain regions of Russia affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident

Natural iodine deficiency, which in some regions of Russia provokes thyroid diseases, increases the consequences of the entry of short-lived radioactive isotopes of this element into the food chain as a result of the Chernobyl accident (1986). The aim of the work is to assess the risk of morbidity of the population of the Kaluga, Bryansk and Oryol regions with thyroid cancer at the level of individual settlements based on experimental data. The iodine content in soils and vegetation cuttings of pastures in geochemically contrasting landscapes, as well as in cows' milk and potatoes of private household farms in the regions affected by the Chernobyl accident in 1986: Bryansk (2021), Oryol (2022) and Kaluga (2023) regions was studied. Joint expeditions of the Laboratory of Environmental Biogeochemistry of GEOKHI RAS and the Department of Human Ecology and Bioelementology of the Institute of Ecology of RUDN, carried out on the initiative and with the participation of the authors, revealed a significant variation of iodine concentration in soils and food products, which may be crucial for assessing the risk of thyroid diseases, including thyroid cancer, among the local rural population. The iodine content was found to be highly variable in both topsoil (0.31-3.04 mg/kg) and grass cuttings (0.14-0.29 mg/kg) of the study area. The maximum natural and technogenic risk of thyroid cancer morbidity in the rural population as a result of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident of 1986 is specific for the studied settlements of Zhizdrinsky district of Kaluga region, Bolkhovsky, Dmitrovsky and Sverdlovsky districts of Oryol region, Rognedinsky district of Bryansk region.

Dose–response analysis of protracted absorbed organ dose and site-specific cancer incidence in Sweden after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident

Background: Adult males in Sweden exhibit an increased risk of cancer associated with an increased absorbed dose to the colon from the Chernobyl accident. Methods: A closed cohort, with information on hunter status, included all individuals living in northern Sweden in 1986. Complete annual information on exposure to 137Cs at the dwelling coordinate was available for a total of 2,104,101 individuals. A nested case-control method with four controls matched for year of cancer diagnosis and year of birth, was used. Individual absorbed organ doses were calculated between 1986 and 2020 including external and internal exposure. Hazard ratios (HR) per mGy with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using conditional logistic regression adjusted for rural/nonrural habitat, education level and pre-Chernobyl cancer incidence 1980 to 1985. A total of 161,325 cancer cases in males and 144,439 in females were included. Results: The adjusted HR per mGy for all cancer sites combined was 1.027 (95% CI = 1.022, 1.031) in males and 1.011 (95% CI = 1.006, 1.017) in females. In a post hoc analysis accounting for both remaining confounding from hunter lifestyle and the pre-Chernobyl cancer incidence by county, the adjusted HR per mGy for all cancer sites combined was 1.014 (95% CI = 1.009, 1.019) in males and 1.000 (95% CI = 0.994, 1.006) in females. The post hoc analysis suggested an increased risk of cancer in the colon, pancreas, and stomach, respectively, in males, and lymphoma in females. Conclusions: Increased cancer risk estimates were found for some specific cancer sites but remaining uncontrolled confounding due to hunter lifestyle could not be ruled out.

БІБЛІОГРАФІЧНИЙ ПОКАЖЧИК НАУКОВИХ ПРАЦЬ З РЕАБІЛІТАЦІЇ

The author has proposed a bibliographic index of scientific works on rehabilitation, which are conditionally divided according to the following thematic areas: rehabilitation from the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident; activities of rehabilitation centers; various types of rehabilitation; rehabilitation of combatants; rehabilitation of children and youth; naturopathy; rehabilitation of people with disabilities; inclusive tourism.The index will be useful to scientists, teachers of higher education institutions, students, master's students, postgraduates, specialists-practitioners in the field of rehabilitation, local self-government bodies, public organizations and everyone who is interested in the field of rehabilitation.

Long term effects of ionising radiation in the Chernobyl Exclusion zone on DNA integrity and chemical defence systems of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) accident in 1986 resulted in extremely high levels of acute ionising radiation, that killed or damaged Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) trees in the surrounding areas. Dead trees were cleared and buried, and new plantations established a few years later. Today, more than three decades later, gamma and beta-radiation near the ChNPP is still elevated compared with ambient levels but have decreased by a factor of 300 and 100, respectively. In the present work, Scots pine-trees growing at High (220 μGy h−1), Medium (11 μGy h−1), and Low (0.2 μGy h−1) total (internal + external) dose rates of chronically elevated ionising radiation in the Chernobyl Exclusion zone were investigated with respect to possible damage to DNA, cells and organelles, as well as potentially increased levels of phenolic and terpenoid antioxidants. Scots pine from the High and Medium radiation sites had elevated levels of DNA damage in shoot tips and needles as shown by the COMET assay, as well as increased numbers of resin ducts and subcellular abnormalities in needles. Needles from the High radiation site showed elevated levels of monoterpenes and condensed tannins compared with those from the other sites. In conclusion, more than three decades after the ChNPP accident substantial DNA damage and (sub)cellular effects, but also mobilisation of stress-protective substances possessing antioxidant activity were observed in Scots pine trees growing at elevated levels of ionising radiation. This demonstrates that the radiation levels in the Red Forest still significantly impact the plant community.

CHARACTERISTICS OF NON-RENAL NORMOCALCIEMIC HYPERPARATHYROIDISM IN THE CHORNOBYL NPP ACCIDENT SURVIVORS.

to assess the hormonal and metabolic disorders in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (ChNPP) accident survivors (AS), having got secondary normocalcemic non-renal hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in the late period upon exposure to ionizing radiation (IR). The routine clinical, anthropometric, instrumental (thyroid and parathyroid diagnosticultrasound), laboratory (biochemical, hormonal), statistical methods were applied. In both prospective (n = 48, control group n = 19) and retrospective studies the data of 2,234 subjects including 1,372 irradiated adults (862 non-irradiated persons in the control group) were evaluated. Clinical consequences of exposure to IR on the endocrine system were evaluated in ChNPP AS. High prevalence of vitamin D lack or deficiency was established retrospectively in 81.8 % of the ChNPP AS and in 89.5 % of the control group subjects. In general, there was neither effect of exposure to IR on the vitamin D status in study subjects, nor any difference between the study groups. According to diagnostic ultrasound patterns the parathyroid hyperplasia was diagnosed in 629 cases (28.2 %). Among the ChNPP AS it was found in 32.7 % of cases (n = 450) vs. 20.7 % (p > 0.005) in the control group (a 1.6-fold difference). HPT diagnosed as serum parathyroid hormone content > 65 ng/ml was diagnosed in 123 cases (21.1 %) i.e. in almost every fifth person. Increased serum level of parathyroid hormone was found in the 94 ChNPP AS and in 25 persons of the comparison group. In other words, the frequency of HPT was 23.7 % among the AS being significantly more than in the comparison group (13.2 %, p < 0.005). Frequency of normocalcemic non-renal HPT was slightly different by years of observation with a trend to the year-by-year increase. High prevalence of vitamin D lack or deficiency was established in the ChNPP AS, being however independent of exposure to IR. Frequency of parathyroid hyperplasia/adenoma was 1.6 times higher in the irradiated subjects than in persons of the control group. Annual increase in frequency of the non-renal normocalcemic HPT was also revealed reaching nowadays 23.7 % among the AS, which is significantly higher than in the comparison group.

The association between upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings and internal radiation exposure in residents living in areas affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Many people living around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) have been exposed to 137Cs for several decades after the CNPP accident. Although half-life of 137Cs is about 30 years, some wild forest foodstuffs are contaminated by 137Cs even now. We pointed out in a previous report that low-dose internal radiation has been occasionally detected in people's body. Moreover, some doctors in local hospitals have claimed that internal exposure from contaminated foodstuffs may affect the digestive organs and possibly cause gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Thus, we attempt to assess whether internal radiation exposure affects digestive organs or not, and the possible factors that influence digestive organs. Overall, 1,612 residents were assessed for internal 137Cs concentration using Whole-Body Counter and their digestive organs were screened with upper GI endoscopy from 2016-2018 in the Zhytomyr region, Ukraine. All participants answered to the questionnaire including their background, intake of wild forest foodstuff, intake frequency, smoking habits, and alcohol consumption. We checked the number of upper GI endoscopic diagnosis per person to assess the extent of damage to the upper digestive organs. Next, we statistically analyzed associations between this number and age, sex, level of internal exposure dose, alcohol consumption, wild forest foodstuff intake, and smoking. Consequently, we revealed that the number of GI diagnosis is significantly increased by factors such as sex, intake of wild forest foodstuff, and alcohol consumption. However, the average level of internal exposure of 137Cs and smoking did not relate to the number of GI diagnosis. Thus, the results of multiple regression revealed that alcohol consumption is independently related to the number of GI diagnosis that is most likely accompanied by the intake of wild forest foodstuff. In conclusion, the low-dose internal exposure may not affect the digestive organs of residents living around CNPP.

Epigenetics for crop adaptation to climate change

Epigenetics for crop adaptation to climate change

Cs-134 in soils of the Western Canary Islands after the Chernobyl nuclear accident

134Cs was measured in soil samples collected in the Western Canary Islands during a survey carried out in 1990–1991. This was 4 to 5 years after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant accident (1986). Models of the radioactive plumes did not show that 134Cs released by the nuclear accident was transported directly from the accident site to these islands. In this work, we provide a possible explanation to how the 134Cs may have been transported and deposited in soils of these islands after the accident. Intermittent inputs of mineral dust from Africa, in the form of intense dust storms, arrive to these islands every year. We believe that the 134Cs from the accident may have been first deposited in Northern Africa, then resuspended and transported to the islands by various dust storms. Atmospheric records of African dust indicate that some strong events (high levels of particulate matter) took place in the 1986–1991 period. This hypothesis is supported by >20 years of aerosol data (2000−2022) collected at this site showing that 137Cs, another isotope of radiocaesium, is resuspended and transported to these islands in connection with these type of African dust storms.

Artificial Radionuclides in the System: Water, Irrigated Soils, and Agricultural Plants of the Crimea Region

In the frame of the radioecological monitoring after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, the features of migration and distribution of artificial radionuclides in the North Crimean Canal (NCC) irrigation system were studied. Standard methods of radiochemical analyzes and modern radiospectrometric equipment were used. It was determined that the irrigation system of the NCC retains 43–59% 90Sr, 59–60% 239+240Pu, and 66–70% 137Cs of the concentration radionuclides entering to irrigated fields with the Dnieper waters. The NCC irrigation system plays the role of a buffer against the radionuclide pollution of the Karkinitsky Bay (the Black Sea). Differences in the accumulation of radionuclides by agricultural crops were revealed. The 90Sr and 239+240Pu transfer factors (TF) for alfalfa were n × 10−2 and n × 10−1, respectively. The TF for wheat, corn, and rice for 90Sr were n × 10−3, and for 239+240Pu—n × 10−2. A radioecological assessment on the safety agriculture along the NCC was made: in the absence of an increase in the entry of the Chernobyl origin radionuclides with the Dnieper river waters to the NCC, the levels of activity concentration of artificial radionuclides in cultivated crops will not exceed the maximum permissible concentration for food raw materials in the coming years.

Factors controlling 137Cs distribution in bottom sediments of Koronowo Reservoir (Poland)

PurposeThe main aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing the long-term distribution of 137Cs activity concentrations in the bottom sediments of the dam lake, Koronowo Reservoir, 32 years after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. For this purpose, selected properties of the collected sediment samples, such as grain size, mineralogical composition, and organic matter (OM) content, were investigated.Materials and methodsThe samples of lake sediments were collected with a Kayak-type gravity corer. The spatial and vertical distributions of 137Cs and 40K activity concentrations in the bottom sediments were investigated based on gamma spectrometry measurements. The particle size distribution of surface lake sediments was determined using a laser particle size analyzer. SEM and XRD were used for the mineralogical analysis of the collected sediment samples. Additionally, the content of organic matter was examined in all samples using an elemental analyzer.ResultsThe 137Cs content was significantly elevated in the case of fine-grained (< 63 µm) surface lake sediments (classified as silts, which are deposited in the profundal zone of Koronowo Lake) and ranged from 12.5 ± 4.1 to 29.2 ± 4.0 Bq kg−1. It was found that the increased concentration of 137Cs activity is more closely related to the content of the silt fraction (2–63 µm) than to the clay fraction (< 2 µm) in the collected surface lake sediments. The content of clay minerals also showed a significant positive correlation with 137Cs activity concentration in the surface lake sediments of Koronowo Lake. A similar relationship was noticed for the OM content, but it may be suspected that it is the result of radiocesium-bearing particle accumulation in OM-rich sediments.ConclusionThe most important factor influencing the spatial distribution of 137Cs activity concentrations in the surface lake sediments of Koronowo Lake, apart from the bottom morphology and grain size of sediments, is the content of clay minerals. Moreover, the increased detrital inflow to the lake after the construction of the dam could have probably affected the vertical distribution of 137Cs activity concentrations in the bottom sediments, as evidenced by, e.g., the measurements of 40K activity concentration.

Environmental recovery from 137Cs contamination in Japanese coastal waters shown by comparison of temporal distributions with European seas

We compared the spatiotemporal distributions of 137Cs in the European Baltic Sea (semi-enclosed) and the North and Norwegian Seas (open to the ocean) after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CHNPP) accident, with those in Japanese coastal regions, including the waters off Miyagi, Fukushima, and Ibaraki prefectures, open to the western North Pacific, after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident. The effective half-lives 1–9 years after each accident were shortest (1.6–4.7 y) in Japanese coastal waters, 4.9 y in the North Sea, and 14.4 y in the Baltic Sea, suggesting that decreases in 137Cs concentrations are largely dependent on the local geography, and that the dilution–diffusion effect of seawater was greater in the Japanese coastal waters. The effective half-lives of 137Cs in the surface waters of European seas, based on 30 years of data after the CNPP accident, became longer, ranging from 8.4 to 11.9 y. This may be due to the influence of rivers, and a delay in the decrease in 137Cs levels caused by the small difference in radioactivity concentrations between the seas and diluting waters. These results could contribute to the prediction of contamination levels in Japanese coastal waters in the future.

Activity concentration of 137Cs in undisturbed attic dust collected from Salgótarján and Ózd (northern Hungary)

Due to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, contaminated air masses, containing 137Cs, were widely propagated across all of Europe. Cesium-137 is easily adsorbed on aerosol particles as it returns to the lithosphere/pedosphere/via wet and dry deposition in the form of a radioactive fallout component. Following the nuclear accident, primary attention was paid to agricultural areas and less to urban environments. Our 137Cs activity study using undisturbed attic dust samples has been carried out from two residential areas (city of Salgótarján and Ózd) in northern Hungary, approx. 1000 km away from Chernobyl. A total of 61 attic dust samples were collected in 2016 and 2018 from houses (>30 years) functioning as family house, kindergarten, blockhouse and church. Activity concentration of 137Cs was determined for 1–2 g homogenized (<125 μm) attic dust samples in a low background iron chamber with a well-type HPGe detector. The mean 137Cs activity concentrations in attic dust samples are 88.5 ± 5.1 Bq kg−1 and 87.8 ± 4.5 Bq kg−1 in Salgótarján and Ózd, respectively. The dependence between 137Cs activities and the age of the houses was found to be significant (p=0.02), which could be explained by Chernobyl nuclear accident-causing elevated activity concentrations in location built prior to the accident. Three outliers in Ózd (>223 Bq kg−1), are probably related to the first rainfall event after the Chernobyl accident. Isotopic landscapes (isoscapes) of 137Cs were derived for both cities by means of kriging interpolation. In Salgótarján the 137Cs activity concentrations were higher than in Ózd which might have been due to redistribution loadings and local topographical features. We concluded that components of attic dust are highly useful indicators of home exposure to pollution events and remain detectable after several decades.

Cancer incidence in a male adult population in relation to estimated protracted colon dose – A nested case control study in Northern Sweden after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident

IntroductionUncertainty in the dose-response of low dose radiation raised concern of an increased cancer incidence in Sweden after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident. Material and methodsA closed cohort was created of all males ≥18 years of age living in the Northern Sweden in 1986. In total 826,400 individuals were enrolled including 40,874 hunters. A nested case-control design was used with five controls randomly selected for each cancer case matched on year of diagnosis and year of birth. Individual absorbed colon dose was calculated 1986 to 2015. Allowing for a 5-year latency period Hazard Ratios (HR) per mGy with 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were calculated in a conditional logistic regression adjusted by rural/non-rural living, length of education and pre-Chernobyl cancer incidence 1980 to 1985. A total of 127,109 cancer cases occurred from 1 January 1991 to 31 December 2015. Cancer was classified in: 1) Organ-specific (stomach, colon, liver, lung, prostate, urinary bladder, thyroid and leukaemia), 2) Other and 3) Not previously associated to ionizing radiation. ResultsThe average colon dose in cases was 1.77 mGy compared to controls 1.73 mGy. Hunters average colon dose was 2.32 mGy. Organ-specific cancers showed the highest HR per mGy both in the full cohort, adj HR 1.019 (1.014–1.024) and the hunter subcohort, adj HR 1.014 (1.001–1.027) during follow-up 1991 to 2015. Other cancer and Not previously associated with ionizing radiation showed lower HR per mGy. Therefore, the adj HR per mGy for Total cancer, 1.013 (1.009–1.017) was explained by Organ-specific cancer. Increased adj HR per mGy was seen in stomach, colon and prostate cancer, respectively in the full cohort and lung cancer in hunters. ConclusionsSome cancer sites previously associated with ionizing radiation showed a positive adjusted HR per mGy both in the full cohort and in the hunter subcohort.

War in Europe: health implications of environmental nuclear disaster amidst war.

Recent incidents at nuclear facilities in Ukraine related to the attacks from Russian forces highlight the fragility of nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities in war and the very real potential for another environmental nuclear disaster and associated health risks in Europe. Nuclear catastrophes from war can occur from radioactive materials released from war threatened nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities in war zones, in addition to the direct threat from the deployment of nuclear weaponry and can result in immediate and long-term health impacts. Despite historical nuclear catastrophic events, including the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident and atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and that for more than a century epidemiologists have studied the consequences of radiation exposures, there are still major unanswered questions regarding radiation risks and human health. Epidemiologists will need to continue to quantify the health effects from exposure to environmental radiation, including background radiation, and are able to contribute to conversations about reliance on nuclear energy and alternative energy futures. As a society we are compelled to rethink our ties to nuclear energy, especially with the potential of increasing reliance on nuclear power amid oil and gas crisis and considering climate change, nuclear warfare, including nuclear weapon testing, and the fragility of humanity and health to even low doses of radiation from these and other natural and unnatural sources.

Radiocaesium retention in bog meadows: an analysis based on soil properties.

The vertical distribution of 137Cs in peat bog soils in the remote period after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident (ChNPP, 1986) was investigated. The study was conducted on bog meadows in the Bryansk region of Russia. Soil samples were taken at 4 locations: 2 sites on lowland bogs and 2 sites on transitional bogs. Fifteen years after the accident, analysis of soils showed that the peak of 137Cs activity was still in the upper 10-cm layer. The highest percentage of the initial 137Cs deposition (92%) has been observed in the top 10-cm layer in the drained transitional bog. The lowest part of the initial 137Cs deposition (40%) has been found in 0-10-cm horizon in lowland bog with the deep peat layer. The findings revealed that elevated soil moisture promotes 137Cs downward migration. It was shown that ammonium has a major impact on mobility of 137Cs in bog soils. On average, the soil solution NH4+ concentrations exceeded the K+ concentrations by about a factor 5. A significant linear relationship was found between the rates of 137Cs removal from the top layers with the soil solution NH4+ concentrations.

Radiological modeling of the impacts of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident on Turkey and southwest Asia

Many studies investigated the impacts of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident on Europe. However, majority of these have spatially excluded the highly populated southeast region of Chernobyl, including countries such as Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Iran. In this study, a comprehensive environmental and radiological analysis were conducted particularly for this region. For this purpose, atmospheric dispersion and ground deposition of radionuclides were estimated using a Lagrangian particle dispersion model, FLEXPART. Totally, six simulations were conducted and model results were validated with measurements from Europe and Turkey. Furthermore, total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) values were estimated for adults and infants using the most current dose conversion factors of ICRP. Highest deposition of 137Cs were found in around Eastern Black Sea areas (10–40 kBq/m2). Similar values were found in some locations of Armenia and Azerbaijan under some scenarios, but country averages of 137Cs deposition were lower than 10 kBq/m2 for both countries. No significant depositions were found in southwest Iran, but relatively higher depositions (2–10 kBq/m2) of 137Cs were estimated along the Turkish border. Although there were slightly higher values in northern areas of Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Cyprus, 137Cs depositions were mostly less than 2 kBq/m2. The 1-year TEDE value was calculated less than 1 mSv throughout the model domain except for some regions of eastern Black Sea. Highest values in lifetime dose values were calculated along the Black Sea coasts of Turkey and Georgia. Overall, infants were affected more from ionizing radiation compared to adults in this region.

Economic and ecological aspects of granite mining in Zhytomyr region: problems and prospects

Formulation of the problem. Most of Ukraine is located on the so-called Ukrainian Shield, which is a geological block rise of the crystalline basement of the Eastern European platform, stretching within our country along the middle reaches of the Dnieper in a strip over 1000 km long and about 250 km wide from the Gorin River to the Sea of Azov. This geological massif consists almost entirely of metamorphic and igneous rocks, the bulk of which are deeply processed by ultrametamorphic processes, including granitization and selective anathexis, which caused the formation of local crustal magmas. In many places granites come to the surface. From the geological point of view, granite is an intrusive rock of acidic composition with a granular (even-grained or uneven-grained) structure. The exceptional strength of this stone material allows it to be used in various areas of the economy, including construction. In this area, granite is widely used in the construction of roads, houses, concrete, bridges and more. Due to the widespread use of stone in the manufacturing sector, there is a need for its extraction. Quarry mining of granite is carried out in Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhia and other regions. At the same time, the extraction of granite by quarrying, as well as its further processing into marketable products, including crushed stone, has a negative impact on the environment. On the one hand, there is the problem of producing the necessary construction products to meet the needs of industry and domestic life of the country's inhabitants, and on the other - there is the issue of environmental protection. Analysis of recent research and publications. This issue is directly or indirectly considered in studies that in one way or another relate to environmental problems of the Zhytomyr region in general, as well as the impact of the mining industry in particular are considered and studies N. G. Zinovchuk, G. Ya. Studinskaya, V. A. Studinsky, V. K. Danilka, V. I. Karpova and others. It is worth noting that the problem of the impact of granite mining in the quarry method is considered by many researchers in conjunction with the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The purpose of this study is the identification of economic and environmental problems associated with the organization of granite mining in a quarry way, as well as the combination of this problem with other factors of negative impact on the environment. Materials and methods. The implementation of this study is based on the following principles: conceptuality, which allows to obtain integrated results; analytical, which allows for a comprehensive study of the issue and identify its individual components; debatability, which allows the admission of different views on this issue. Results of the research. The article attempts to consider the negative impact on the environment of granite mining and its processing into marketable products. The authors also tried to consider this problem comprehensively in combination with other negative environmental impacts. This touches on the improvement of technical and technological processes that reduce the negative impact on the environment. Conclusions. Quarrying of granite is undoubtedly a negative impact on the natural state, in particular on the quality of air, water and land resources. This negative impact is exacerbated by the fact that the Zhytomyr region was most negatively affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. However, the application of modern technologies in the system of quarry granite mining can significantly reduce the negative impact, in particular of crushed stone plants, on the environment of Zhytomyr region.