Territory contamination with the radionuclides representing the fuel component of Chernobyl fallout

Title: Territory contamination with the radionuclides representing the fuel component of Chernobyl fallout

Author: V.A Kashparov, S.M Lundin, S.I Zvarych, V.I Yoshchenko, S.E Levchuk, Y.V Khomutinin, I.M Maloshtan, V.P Protsak

Reference: Science of The Total Environment, Volume 317, Issues 1–3, 30 December 2003, Pages 105-119

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(03)00336-X

Keywords: Chernobyl accident; Terrestrial density of contamination; Plutonium; Radioactive fallout; Fuel particles

Abstract: The data obtained through a series of experiments were used to specify the correlation of activities of the fuel component radionuclides of Chernobyl fallout and to create the maps of the 30-km Chernobyl zone terrestrial density of contamination with ¹⁵⁴Eu, ²³⁸Pu, ^239+240Pu and ²⁴¹Am (on 01.01.2000). In the year 2000, total inventories of the fuel component radionuclides in the upper 30-cm soil layer of the 30-km Chernobyl zone in Ukraine (outside the ChNPP industrial site, excluding the activity located in the radioactive waste storages and in the cooling pond) were estimated as: ⁹⁰Sr—7.7×10¹⁴ Bq; ¹³⁷Cs—2.8×10¹⁵ Bq; ¹⁵⁴Eu—1.4×10¹³ Bq; ²³⁸Pu—7.2×10¹² Bq; ^239+240Pu—1.5×10¹³ Bq; ²⁴¹Am—1.8×10¹³ Bq. These values correspond to 0.4–0.5% of their amounts in the ChNPP unit 4 at the moment of the accident. The current estimate is 3 times lower than the previous widely-cited estimates. Inventories of the fuel component radionuclides were also estimated in other objects within the 30-km zone and outside it. This allowed more accurate data to be obtained on the magnitude of a relative release of radionuclides in the fuel particles (FP) matrix during the Chernobyl accident outside the ChNPP industrial site. It amounts to 1.5±0.5% of these radionuclides in the reactor, which is 2 times lower than the previous estimates. Two-thirds of the radionuclides release in the FP was deposited on the territory of Ukraine.

URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896970300336X