Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2019. Vol. 64. No. 4. P. 25–31

DOI: 10.12737/article_5d1102809c5ac3.32613968

V.K. Kuznetsov, N.I. Sanzharova, A.V. Panov, N.N. Isamov

Radioecological Monitoring of Agroecosystems in the NPP Vicinity:
Methodology and Results of Investigations

Russian Institute of Radiology and Agroecology, Obninsk, Russia. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

V.K. Kuznetsov – Leading Researcher, Dr. Sci. Biol.;
N.I. Sanzharova – Director, Dr. Sci. Biol., Prof., Corr. Member RAS;
A.V. Panov – Deputy Director, Dr. Sci. Biol., Prof. RAS;
N.N. Isamov – Leading Researcher, PhD Biol.

Abstract

Purpose: Justification of the necessity to establish and maintain a system of radioecological monitoring of agricultural ecosystems in the vicinity of nuclear power plants at all stages of the life cycle of a radiation-hazardous facility.

Material and methods: The paper presents methodological approaches (sanitary-hygienic and environmental) to radioecological monitoring of agricultural ecosystems in the region of the NPP location. The tasks of the radioecological monitoring of agricultural ecosystems are defined, and its organisation and management stages are highlighted. The article displays the features of the development of programs and regulations of radioecological monitoring of agricultural ecosystems. The main objects of radioecological monitoring, parameters to be monitored, and also the frequency of monitoring observations are determined. The principles of locating the control points on the monitoring network are substantiated.

Results: The results of radioecological monitoring of agricultural ecosystems in the impact zones of the Kursk and Rostov NPPs are presented. The approaches to the creation of a monitoring network, taking into account the peculiarities of the regions of the NPPs’ location (landscape, soil, economic), are demonstrated. It is shown that the contamination density of agricultural lands by ⁹⁰Sr varies in the range of 0.47–1.74 kBq/m2, and by ¹³⁷Cs – 2.7–9.7 kBq/m2 for Kursk NPP and, for Rostov NPP it is 0.36–2.57 kBq/m2 by ⁹⁰Sr and 2.25–4.55 kBq/m2 by ¹³⁷Cs. Over the entire period of monitoring observations, none of the samples of agricultural products appeared to have an excess of sanitary and hygienic standards for the content of radionuclides. Due to the consumption of food produced in 30-km observation zones, about 63 Bq/a of ⁹⁰Sr and 195 Bq/a of ¹³⁷Cs in the Kursk NPP observation zone and, respectively, 133 and 184 Bq/a in the vicinity of Rostov NPP enter the diet of the local population, which is almost 400 times for ¹³⁷Cs and 10–20 times for ⁹⁰Sr below the annual ingestion limits respectively. Differences in the accumulation of radionuclides for the same crop in different years of observation come up to 1.5 times, due to the influence of soil and weather conditions, as well as different doses of ameliorants application.

Conclusion: The results of the radioecological monitoring of agricultural ecosystems confirm that the operation of the Kursk and Rostov NPPs in normal mode does not lead to a deterioration of the radiation situation in the regions where they are located. Radiation doses on the local population do not exceed the established standard values. The system of radioecological monitoring of agricultural ecosystems should be an integral component in the general system of radiation safety in the vicinities of NPPs and other radiation-hazardous facilities.

Key words: Nuclear Power Plants, agroecosystems, radionuclides, radioecological monitoring, foodstuffs, exposure doses of population

REFERENCES

1. Conceptual provisions of the strategy for the development of nuclear energy in Russia in the XXI century. Moscow. NIKIAT; 2012. 62 p. (Russian).
2. Russia’s energy strategy until 2030 (approved by the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 13. 2009 No. 1715-r). (Russian).
3. Organization of state radioecological monitoring of agroecosystems in the zone of exposure to radiation-hazardous objects. MU-13.5.13-00. (approved by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation on August 7, 2000). Moscow. 2000. 28 p. (Russian).
4. Methods of organizing and conducting agroecological monitoring of agricultural land in areas of industrial pollution and the assessment of the environmental situation in agriculture in the regions where nuclear power plants are located and the Chernobyl NPP accident. Ed. by N.I. Sanzharova. Obninsk: VNIISHRAE. 2010. 276 p. (Russian).
5. Engineering surveys for the location, design and construction of nuclear power plants. Part II. Engineering surveys for the development of design and working documentation and maintenance of construction. SP 151.13330.2012. Moscow. 2013. 155 p. (Russian).
6. Guidelines for conducting local monitoring at reference sites. 1996. Moscow. CINAO. 1996. 16 p. (Russian).
7. Sanitary rules for the design and operation of nuclear power plants. SanPiN 2.6.1.24–03. 2003 (approved by the decision of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation of April 28, 2003 No. 69). (Russian).
8. Generic Models for Use in Assessing the Impact of Discharges of Radioactive Substances to the Environment. Safety Rep. Ser. N19. Vienna: IAEA, 2001. 216 p.
9. Data on radioactive contamination of the territory of populated areas of the Russian Federation with cesium-137, strontium-90 and plutonium-239 + 240. 2015. Ed. by S.M. Vakulovsky. Obninsk, “Typhoon”. 2016. 225 p. (Russian).
10. Report “On the state and protection of the environment in the territory of the Kursk region in 2015”. 2016. Kursk, Administration of the Kursk Region. 2016. 126 p. (Russian).
11. Report “On the state of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population of the Rostov region in 2017”. Rostov-on-Don, Administration of the Rostov Region. 2018. 197 p. (Russian).
12. Materials of the state report “On the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population in the Kursk region in 2015”. 2016. Kursk, Administration of the Kursk Region. 2016. 280 p. (Russian).
13. Radiation situation on the territory of Russia and neighboring countries. 2014. Obninsk, “Typhoon”. 2014. 367 p. (Russian).
    

For citation: Kuznetsov VK, Sanzharova NI, Panov AV, Isamov NN. Radioecological Monitoring of Agroecosystems in the NPP Vicinity: Methodology and Results of Investigations. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2019;64(4):25–31. (Russian).

DOI: 10.12737/article_5d1102809c5ac3.32613968

PDF (RUS) Full-text article (in Russian)