Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2022. Vol. 67. № 3
M.I. Grachev, Yu.A. Salenko, A.V. Simakov,
G.P. Frolov, V.N. Klochkov, Yu.V. Abramov, I.K. Tesnov
Health Effects in Case of Radiation Accidents When Managing Spent Nuclear Fuel
A.I. Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center, Moscow, Russia
Contact person: Yu.A. Salenko, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To consider the features of potential health effects for personnel and for the population in the event of radiation accidents at facilities for post-reactor spent nuclear fuel management (including spent nuclear fuel pools and general plant storage facilities, transportation of nuclear materials and their subsequent processing at radiochemical plants).
Results: Based on the analysis of publications, the potential radiation consequences for personnel and for the population in the event of various types of radiation accidents at the stages of spent nuclear fuel management were systematized.
Conclusion: Advanced technologies underlying the closed nuclear fuel cycle provide a high level of radiation safety for personnel and for the population. At the same time, a large amount of accumulated radioactive and nuclear materials makes it necessary to maintain the health care system in preparedness at all stages of spent nuclear fuel management. Health effects for personnel may be associated with exposure because of criticality accident and internal intake of fission products of uranium and actinides (by inhalation and through wound surfaces).
In case of accidents at radiochemical production, combined radiation-thermal and radiation-chemical injuries are also possible. The main potential hazard for the population in the event of radiation accident at the spent nuclear fuel storage facility is the contamination of the environment and exposure to long-lived uranium fission products and actinides. This requires clarification and development of appropriate criteria and derived intervention levels for making decisions on protective measures.
Hypothetically, the health effects in case of radiation accident when managing “fresh” spent nuclear fuel can be comparable to a large-scale reactor accident and require urgent protective measures, including evacuation and iodine prophylaxis. An important factor that should also be taken into account when planning health care measures is the need for decontamination of victims.
Keywords: spent nuclear fuel, radiation accident, health effects
For citation: Grachev MI, Salenko YuA, Simakov AV, Frolov GP, Klochkov VN, Abramov YuV, Tesnov IK. Health Effects in Case of Radiation Accidents When Managing Spent Nuclear Fuel. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2022;67(3):13–20.
(In Russian). DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2022-67-3-13-20
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Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Financing. The study had no sponsorship.
Contribution. Article was prepared with equal participation of the authors.
Article received: 17.01.2022. Accepted for publication: 15.03.2022.