Exposure of the population of the Gomel region due to inhalation of the Chernobyl fuel particles

"Radiation and Risk", 1996, vol.7, pp. 131-139

Authors

Kut’kov V.A., Pogodin R.I.¹, Skryabin A.M.¹
Russian Scientific Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow;
¹Gomel Affiliation of Institute of Radiation Medicine of Belorussian Ministry of Health Care, Gomel

Abstract

The main pathway of plutonium to human body on the territories contaminated after the Chernobyl accident was inhalation of aerosol particles of dispersed nuclear fuel - the so-called “Chernobyl fuel particles”. These particles are a rare form of radioactive contamination of the air and their radiobiological properties are poorly understood. The radioactive fission products (I, Te, Cs, Ru, Sr isotopes and others) and transuranic ra- dionuclides (Pu, Cm, Am, Np) containing fuel particles are firmly fixed with the uranium dioxide matrix. Due to this bonding their behaviour in the environment and in human body is collective. This phenomenon has been experimentally confirmed in the studies of distribution of Pu iso- topes in the bodies of the accident liquidators and the kinetics of removal of Cs isotopes from their organisms. The studies of the plutonium content in body on the contaminated areas of the Gomel re- gion were carried out to reconstruct the value of inhalation intake of aerosol fuel particles in the first days after the Chernobyl NPP and to estimate corresponding internal exposure doses. The completed works have revealed the Chernobyl fuel particles in respiratory organs of the inhabi- tants on the contaminated areas. It has been shown that in terms of size and ratio of plutonium isotopes, the fuel particles inhaled by the residents of the Gomel region correlate with the fuel particles released from the damaged 4th unit of the Chernobyl NPP. The reconstructed doses for the studied “witnesses” of the accident make it possible to predict the range of internal doses for other groups of liquidators as well as residents of the contaminated areas in Belorus, Ukraine and Russian Federation.

Key words
The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a source of plutonium, the body, residents of contaminated areas, inhalation of aerosol particles, dispersed nuclear fuel, Chernobyl fuel particles.

References

1. Summary report on the post-accident review meeting on the Chernobyl accident. - Vienna: IAEA, 1986. - STI/PUB/740 (Safety Ser. 75-INSAG-1).

2. ICRP Publication 30. Limits for intakes of radionuclides by workers//Ann. ICRP. - 1979. - V. 2, № 3/4.

3. Kutkov V.A., Muravev Yu.B., Aref'eva Z.S. et al. // Pulmonology. - 1993. - № 4. - C. 10-19.

4. Kutkov V.A., Muravev Yu.B. // Medical radiology and radiation safety. -1994. - № 4. - C. 4-9.

5. Kut’kov V.A. Chernobyl fuel hot particles in man//Proc. Int. Symp. Radioecology: Chemical speciation - Hot particles. - Znojmo. CEC: IUR, SCzR, 1992.

6. ICRP Publication 66. Human respiratory tract model for radiological protection//Ann. ICRP. -1994. - V. 24, № 1- 3.

7. Kut’kov V.A., Murav’ev Yu.B., Aref’eva Z.S., et al. Internal doses of Chernobyl accident witnesses including doses from nuclear fuel particles //Umweltradioactivitat, Radiookologie, Strohlenwirkungen/Eds. Winter M., Wicke A. - Koln.: Verlag TUV Rheinland, 1993. - P. 816-820.

8. Kutkov V.A., Dementyev S.I., Gusev I.A. // Medical radiology and radiation safety. - 1996.

9. Pylypenko N.I., Kalmykov L.Z., Barabanova V.V. et al. // Medical Radiology. - 1992. - № 5-6. - C. 28-31.

10. Sources and effects of ionizing radiation. - UNSCEAR 1993 Report to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes. Annex B: Exposures from man-made sources of radiation. - New York: UN, 1993.

11. Krey P.W., Hardy E.P., Pachucki C. et al. Mass isotopic composition of global fall-out plutonium in soil//Transuranium nuclides in the environment. - Viena: IAEA, 1976. - STI/PUB/410. - P. 671-678.

12. Hardy E.P., Krey P.W., Volchok H.L.//Nature. - 1973. - V. 241, №. 5390. - P. 444-445.

13. Bunzl K., Henrichs K., Kracke W. Distribution of fallout ²³⁸Pu, ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu in persons of different ages from the Federal Republic of Germany//Assessment of radioactive contamination in man. - Vienna: IAEA, 1985. - STI/PUB/674. - P. 541-555.

14. Popplewell D.S., Ham G.J., McCarthy W. et al.//Radiat. Prot. Dosim. - 1989. - V.26, № 1/4. - P. 313- 316.

15. Human body. Biomedical data. Publication 23 of the ICRP. - M.: Medicine, 1977.

16. Shvydko N.S., Ivanova N.P., Salazkina N.V. et al. // Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. - 1994. - № 4. - C. 10-12.

17. Data on radioactive contamination of the territory of the Russian Federation ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr, ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu //Radiation and Risk. - 1993. - Vol. 3, App. 1. - p. 7-66.

18. Budyka AK, Ogorodnikov B.I., Skitovich V.I. The use of personal protective equipment for respiratory organs, taking into account the dispersion of radioactive aerosols in the 30-km zone of the Chernobyl NPP // Environmental protection, environmental issues and product quality control. - M .: NIITEKHIM, 1992. - Vol. 5. - p. 19-32.

19. Hohryakov V.F., Syslova C.S., Skryabin A.M. //Sci. Total Environ. - 1994. - V. 142. - P. 101-104.

20. Pietrzak-Flis Z., Orzechowska G.//Health Phys. - 1993. - V. 65, № 5. - P. 489-492.

21. ICRP Publication 48. The Metabolism of Plutonium and Related Elements//Ann. ICRP. - 1986. - V. 17, № 1-3.

22. АThe accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and its consequences. Information prepared for the IAEA expert meeting (Vienna August 25-29, 1986). - Part 2, Appendix 4: Estimation of the quantity, composition and dynamics of the release of radioactive substances from the damaged reactor. - M .: GKIAE, 1986.

23. Kawamura H.//Health Phys. - 1987. - V. 52, № 6. - P. 793-795.

24. Bennett B.G. Transuranic element pathways to man//Transuranium nuclides in the environment. - Vi- ena: IAEA, 1976. - STI/PUB/410. - P. 367-383.

25. Clemente G.F., Belloni P., Di Pietro S. et al Tritium and plutonium content of the Italian diet and trnsfer to man//Biological implications of radionuclides released from nuclear industries. Viena: IAEA, 1979. - STI/PUB/522. - V.2. - P. 257-264.

26. Hisamatsu S., Takizawa Y., Abe T.//Health Phys. - 1987. - V. 52, № 2. - P. 193-200.

27. Murav’ev Yu. B., Kut’kov V.A. “R-MAN” a computer code for internal dose evaluation and the handbook “Dose conversion factors for inhalation and ingestion for persons of different ages”//Nuclear energy and human safety: Proc. of 4th Annual scientific & technical conference of the Nuclear Society. - Nizhni Novgorod: Nuclear Society, 1993. - P. 247-250.

28. Christy M., Eckerman K.E. Specific absorbed fractions of energy at various ages from internal photon sources. - Oak-Ridge, 1987. - ORNL/TM -8381. - V. 17.

29. Grawford D.J., Eckerman K.F.//Radiat. Prot. Dosim. - 1982. - V. 2, № 4. - P. 209-220.

30. ICRP Publication 56. Age-dependent doses to mem- bers of the public from intake of radionuclides: Part 1//Ann. ICRP. - 1989. - V. 20, № 2.

31. ICRP Publication 60. Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection//Ann. ICRP. - 1990. - V. 21, № 1-3.

Full text article (in Russian)