Radiation survey and environmental impact assessment at the site of temporary storage at Andreeva Bay (16 years of studies).

The site of temporary storage for spent fuel and radioactive waste at Andreeva Bay is a largest nuclear legacy site in the Russian Northwest. The radiation situation within the industrial site and in the surrounding health protection zone (HPZ) is characterised by significant local contamination of the topsoil, which is a source of environmental contamination and potential spread of radioactivity within and outside the HPZ, including the adjacent marine environment. The highest levels of radioactive contamination of soil due to manmade radionuclides have been registered around the spent nuclear fuel storage facilities, where the specific activity of Cs-137 reaches 5 × 107Bq kg-1, and that of Sr-90, 5.7 × 106Bq kg-1. Determination of the mobility of these main dose-forming radionuclides has demonstrated that about 90% of the Sr-90 and 30% of the Cs-137 in the soil are in a mobile form. The corresponding figures for bottom sediments are 75% and 60%. The assessment of the impact of contamination in the different areas of the Andreeva Bay site, and the assessment of the adequacy of the previously developed remediation criteria for environmental protection (Sneveet al2015J. Radiol. Prot.35571) demonstrated that when carrying out remedial work according to any scenario provided for in the Guidelines 'Criteria and norms for remediation of sites and facilities contaminated with manmade radionuclides', of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise 'The Northern Federal Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management' for the supervision area, recommendations for environmental protection are followed. For scenarios such as conversion and conservation, reference levels of biota exposure for some species of representative organisms could be exceeded, based on a preliminary conservative assessment.

[Substantiation of a complex of radiation-hygienic approaches to the management of very low-level waste].

In the article there are presented materials on radiation-hygienic approaches to the treatment of very low level radioactive waste (VLLW) and industrial waste containing radionuclides. There is done detailed information on radiation-hygienic principles and criteria for the assurance ofradiation safety in the collection, transportation, storage and processing of VLLW as a category of radioactive waste.. Particular attention is paid to the problem of designing VLLW landfill site choice, system of radiation monitoring in operation and decommissioning of the landfill. There are presented data about the criteria for the release of VLLW buried at the site, from regulatory control. Also there are considered in detail the radiation-hygienic requirements for radiation safety of industrial waste containing radionuclides for which there is assumed unlimited and limited use of solid materials in economic activity, based on the requirements ofthe revised Basic Sanitary Rules for Radiation Safety - 99/2010. There are considered basic requirements for the organization of industrial waste landfill. As an example, there-are presented the hygiene requirements for industrial waste management and results of waste categorization in Northern Federal Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management.

[RADIATION SAFETY DURING REMEDIATION OF THE "SEVRAO" FACILITIES].

Within a framework of national program on elimination of nuclear legacy, State Corporation "Rosatom" is working on rehabilitation at the temporary waste storage facility at Andreeva Bay (Northwest Center for radioactive waste "SEVRAO"--the branch of "RosRAO"), located in the North-West of Russia. In the article there is presented an analysis of the current state of supervision for radiation safety of personnel and population in the context of readiness of the regulator to the implementation of an effective oversight of radiation safety in the process of radiation-hazardous work. Presented in the article results of radiation-hygienic monitoring are an informative indicator of the effectiveness of realized rehabilitation measures and characterize the radiation environment in the surveillance zone as a normal, without the tendency to its deterioration.

[RADIATION HYGIENIC MONITORING AT THE AREA OF THE LOCATION OF THE FAR EASTERN CENTER FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT (FEC "DALRAO"--BRANCH OF FSUE "ROSRAO")].

Intensification ofactivities in the field of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and radioactive waste (RW) management in the Far East region of Russia assumes an increase of the environmental load on the territories adjacent to the enterprise and settlements. To ensure radiation safety during works on SNF and radioactive waste management in the standard mode of operation and during the rehabilitation works in the contaminated territories, there is need for the optimization of the existing system of radiation-hygienic monitoring, aimed at the implementation of complex dynamic observation of parameters of radiation-hygienic situation and radiation amount of the population living in the vicinity of the Far Eastern Center for Radioactive Waste Management (FEC "DALRAO"). To solve this problem there is required a significant amount of total and enough structured information on the character of the formation of the radiation situation, the potential ways of the spread of man-made pollution to the surrounding area, determining the radiation load on the population living in the vicinity of the object. In this paper there are presented the results of field studies of the radiation situation at the plant FEC "DALRAO", which were obtained during the course of expedition trips in 2009-2012.

[Radio-ecological situation in the area of JSC "Priargunsky Production Mining and Chemical Association"].

In order to assess the radioecological situation created in the area of the location of diversified uranium mining enterprise "Priargunsky Production Mining and Chemical Association" (PIMCU) there was investigated the radioactivity of a number of the compartments of environment, both at the industrial site and beyond it, as well as the volume activity of radon inside the ground and working premises. Radioecological situation in the vicinity of the uranium mines was performed in comparison with the background (fixed reference, control) district, where there is no uranium mining. Performed studies have shown the significant excess content of 226Ra, 232Th, 210Pb, 222Rn in soil, water open water bodies and local foods near uranium mines compared to areas outside the zone of influence of uranium mining that allows to make a conclusion about the significant technogenic pollution of local areas of the plant and adjoining territory.

[Regulatory supervision and radiation survey in the area of location of former military technical bases].

Activities related to the rehabilitation of areas and facilities of the temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste (SNF and RW) at Andreeva Bay and Gremikha on the Kola Peninsula and in the Primorsky Krai in the Russian Far East is an important component of the regulatory functions of the Federal Medical biological Agency (FMBA of Russia). Technical support to the FMBA of Russia in this activity is provided by A.L Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center Main research interests include evaluation of radiological threats to determine the priority directions of regulation, a detailed analysis of the radiation situation at areas, territories and in vicinity of temporary waste storage facilities, radiation control and environmental monitoring, the development of digital maps and geoinformation systems, project expertise in the field of rehabilitation of PVC including the management of SNF and RW Implementation of these natural, practical and theoretical works is completed by development a set of regulatory documents ensuring adherence to radiation safety for the stuff population and the environment, and the also documents governing the management of SNF and RW waste in the territories of PVC.

[Radioecological approaches to ranking radiation dangerous objects].

The paper gives complex criteria for evaluating the hazard of radiation dangerous objects (RDO). The proposed criteria include the following indicators: the ratio of the cumulative activity of radioactive waste to a hazard factor (D value) or to the allowable level of i-radionuclide in the storage; the power of an effective gamma-radiation dose; the rate of radionuclide migration; the doses of human radiation. A scoring system for the hazard of RDO from the above indicators is given.

[Ecological and economic approaches to removing radioactively dangerous objects from service].

The paper considers major ecological and economic problems when removing radiation dangerous objects from service and rehabilitating the areas, which require their solution: the absence of specific guidelines for ranking the contaminated lands exposed to radioactive and chemical pollution from the potential risk to the population and environment; no clear criteria for ceasing area rehabilitation works; radiation exposure levels for the population living in the areas after rehabilitation; allowable levels of residual specific activity, and levels of heavy metals in soil, surface and underground water and bed sediment. The cost such works is the most important and decisive problem. A decision-making algorithm consisting of three main blocks: organizational-technical, engineering, geological and medicoecological measures is proposed to solve managerial, economic, and scientific problems.

[Results of radiation monitoring in Moscow region over 1957-2005].

The article contains data on radiation situation in Moscow region, characteristics of overall beta-activity of ambient air, fall-out density, radionuclide contents of foods. Radionuclides content of environment appeared to decrease by 2-3 orders. Individual doses of internal irradiation for Moscow population are 100 times lower than the levels legally set for technogenic sources.

Ukrainian thyroid doses after the Chernobyl accident.

To estimate thyroid radioactivity in the Ukrainian population from May-June 1986, more than 150,000 individual examinations were carried out by special dosimetric teams. The results of these total measurements were approved to be a basis for assessing individual absorbed doses of infant and adult thyroid irradiation associated with the 131I exposure. The dosimetric radioiodine data bank of thyroid irradiation of the Ukrainian population was created to analyze these measurements. The analysis was performed using the data for eight Ukrainian districts and the town of Pripjat, which were all heavily contaminated due to radioiodine exposure. Results of the dose assessments are given using two models: the more conservative model of "single radioiodine intake" and a more realistic model that considers the individual duration of radioiodine intake. In accordance with the more realistic model, the predictions of late effects have shown that a collective thyro-oncogenic dose is equal to 64,000 person-Gy, stimulating the possibility of the emergence of 300 cases (30 incurable) of thyrocancers. Considering this information for the next 35 y (1991-2026), it is possible to predict a 1.4-fold increase over spontaneous thyroid cancer morbidity for children who lived in the heavily contaminated regions of the Ukraine in 1986 (spontaneous and radiogenic to spontaneous).

[Alimentary methods for decreasing the radiation load of the body with cesium and strontium radionuclides]. / Alimentarnye sredstva umensheniia luchevykh nagruzok organizma radionuklidami tseziia i strontsiia.

Introduction in ration of fish mass, calcium carbonate, bone meal, algae laminaria reduced level of Sr-90 and Cs-137 accumulation in the population living on territories polluted after Chernobyl accident

[Methodological principles for using agents for the mass prevention of the sequelae of human irradiation]. / Metodologicheskie printsipy primeneniia sredstv massovoi profilaktiki posledstvii oblucheniia cheloveka.

The means of mass prevention of radiation consequences are biologically active additives to food, usual diet components, etc., micronutrients, as well as some sorbents and radio protective agents, which show various actions: 1) those reducing absorption; 2) those accelerating radionuclide excretion; 3) those enhancing the body's resistance to radiation; 4) those contributing to the prevention (less risk) of late radiation-induced cancer. The paper formulates basic requirements for means of mass prevention and guidelines for their use in terms of benefits and risk.

[Comparative evaluation of cancerogenic risk of radiation and air pollution by coal ashes and benzo(a)pyrene]. / Sravnitelnaia otsenka kantserogennogo riska pri vozdeistvii radiatsii i zagriaznenii atmosfernogo vozdukha ugolnoi zoloi i benz(a)pirenom.

Experiments were made with 800 white outbred mice inhaling benzo [a] pyrene (BP) and volatile coal ash for a long time. Experiments showed that BP is 10-1000-fold more carcinogenic than volatile coal ash. BP inhalation at a sanitary standard level (0.1 microgram/100 m3 of air) corresponds to equivalent risk of total gamma-emission about 2 Sv. Coal ash inhalation in concentration 0.05 mg/m3 corresponds to the same equivalent risk as for the dose 0.05 Sv.

[The subjective assessment by the population of the radiation risk]. / Sub''ektivnaia otsenka naseleniem radiatsionnogo riska.

The role of a subjective factor in the population's rating of various risk factors in radionuclide-polluted and radionuclide-free areas was studied. The residents from both areas consider to live in the radioactively polluted areas to be the first among risk factors. The coefficients of radiation risk rating by the population are 1.3-1.8.

[A case study of the contents of radionuclides and of main chemical pollutants in the atmospheric air of Moscow]. / Izuchenie soderzhaniia radionuklidov i osnovnykh khimicheskikh zagriaznitelei v atmosfernom vozdukhe goroda Moskvy.

The article contains data on monitoring the atmospheric air pollution in Moscow. Thus, the below figures are presented: beta ranges from 2.6 E-0.5 to 5.7 E-0.04 Bk/m3, airborne pollutants amount to 3-80 mkg/m3, sulfates--0.002-1.58 mkg(S)/m3, nitrates--0.05-0.75 mkg(N2)/m3 ammonium ions--0.12-1.20 mkg (N2)/m3, sulfuric dioxides--0.11-1.20 mkg (S)/m3. nitric dioxides--0.05-0.5 mlg (N2)/m3 and nitric acid--0.01-0.08 mkg (N2)/m3. The concentration of airborne pollutants exceeds the regional European level (22 mkg/m3) and that of Russia's European part (12 ... 28 mkg/m3) approximately by 1.5 times. It is noteworthy that it reaches 50 ... 70 mkg/m3 in large industrial centers of Europe. The share of sulfuric and nitric acids in the total concentration of airborne pollutants is (by weight) 13%. 0.8 g of sulfur per m2/year and 0.34 g of nitrogen per m2/year fall in the area of Sport-and-Recreation Complex No. 3 with precipitations; the average total beta-activity of atmospheric precipitations amounts to 1.2 Bk/m2 per day. An analysis of relationships between the air dustiness, the ashes samples' weight (of the air) and cuvette (precipitations) is indicative of their direct and tense correlation: the correlation coefficient between dust and ashes samples is 0.716, and between dust and ashes samples of cuvettes--0.559. At the same time, an extremely weak correlation should be pointed out between air dustiness and the total beta-activity of samples--the correlation coefficient is 0.184 (during a warm year season), as well as between dustiness and the beta-activity of cuvettes--0.346.

[Study of the anticarcinogenic characteristics of the trace element, selenium, sanitary-hygienic experiment]. / Issledovanie antikantserogennykh svoistv mikroélementa selena v sanitarno-gigienicheskom éksperimente.

Enrichment of rat daily diets by 1-2 (up to 5) mg selenium increased nonspecific resistance of animals to ionizing radiation. Incidence of mammary, pituitary, and thyroid tumors as well as of leukemia were lower as compared with control animal group given no selenium.

[The effect of adding Laminaria japonica to food on the long-term effects when combined with radiation injury]. / Vliianie dobavki v pishchu Laminaria japonica na otdalennye effekty kombinirovannogo luchevogo porazheniia.

Irradiation of rats by 131I (10 Gy) incorporated in the thyroid and by 137Cs external source (6 Gy) was made. Part of animals received a ration with Laminaria that reduced a rise in frequency of leukemia, other malignant tumors and increased latent period of tumor formation.

[Results of radiation monitoring in Moscow]. / Rezul'taty radiatsionnogo monitoringa v Moskve.

The results of assessing the radiation situation due to global fallouts, obtained from measurement of 137Cs and 90Sr in over 400 samples from natural environmental objects in Moscow in 1979-1999 have indicated that the levels of the substances in the atmospheric fallouts are in agreement with the mean Russian levels and the mean annual activity of these radionuclides in the ambient air are 6 orders lower than the allowable values laid down in NRB-99. In Moscow, the mean effective dose of external exposure to natural and cosmogenic radionuclides is no greater than 1 m3v a year. The individual effective doses of internal and external exposures of the population to global fallouts averages 13 mu k3v a year.

Radio-ecological characterization and radiological assessment in support of regulatory supervision of legacy sites in northwest Russia.

The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority has been implementing a regulatory cooperation program in the Russian Federation for over 10 years, as part of the Norwegian government's Plan of Action for enhancing nuclear and radiation safety in northwest Russia. The overall long-term objective has been the enhancement of safety culture and includes a special focus on regulatory supervision of nuclear legacy sites. The initial project outputs included appropriate regulatory threat assessments, to determine the hazardous situations and activities which are most in need of enhanced regulatory supervision. In turn, this has led to the development of new and updated norms and standards, and related regulatory procedures, necessary to address the often abnormal conditions at legacy sites. This paper presents the experience gained within the above program with regard to radio-ecological characterization of Sites of Temporary Storage for spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste at Andreeva Bay and Gremikha in the Kola Peninsula in northwest Russia. Such characterization is necessary to support assessments of the current radiological situation and to support prospective assessments of its evolution. Both types of assessments contribute to regulatory supervision of the sites. Accordingly, they include assessments to support development of regulatory standards and guidance concerning: control of radiation exposures to workers during remediation operations; emergency preparedness and response; planned radionuclide releases to the environment; development of site restoration plans, and waste treatment and disposal. Examples of characterization work are presented which relate to terrestrial and marine environments at Andreeva Bay. The use of this data in assessments is illustrated by means of the visualization and assessment tool (DATAMAP) developed as part of the regulatory cooperation program, specifically to help control radiation exposure in operations and to support regulatory analysis of management options. For assessments of the current radiological situation, the types of data needed include information about the distribution of radionuclides in environmental media. For prognostic assessments, additional data are needed about the landscape features, on-shore and off-shore hydrology, geochemical properties of soils and sediments, and possible continuing source terms from continuing operations and on-site disposal. It is anticipated that shared international experience in legacy site characterization can be useful in the next steps. Although the output has been designed to support regulatory evaluation of these particular sites in northwest Russia, the methods and techniques are considered useful examples for application elsewhere, as well as providing relevant input to the International Atomic Energy Agency's international Working Forum for the Regulatory Supervision of Legacy Sites.

Independent regulatory examination of radiation situation in the areas of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes storage in the Russian far east.

This paper describes the findings of the radiation situation analysis on-site near Sysoeva and Razbojnik Bays. The results of radiation monitoring performed by radiological laboratory of DalRAO and studies performed by the experts from the Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Centre have been used in the course of analysis. On the industrial sites, gamma dose rate reaches 60 µSv h(-1), and the specific activities of man-made radionuclides in soil reach 2.5 × 10(4) Bq kg(-1) for (137)Cs, 7.6 × 10(3) Bq kg(-1) for (90)Sr and 2.0 × 10(3) Bq kg(-1) for (60)Co. Beyond the industrial sites, there are three local parts of the area on the coast and in the off-shore water area, contaminated with man-made radionuclides. Gamma dose rate reaches 8 µSv h(-1). The radionuclide contents in soil at this area reach 3.6 × 10(3), 2.8 × 10(3) and 19 Bq kg(-1) for (137)Сs, (90)Sr and (60)Со, respectively. At the remaining part of the area nearby Sysoeva Bay, the radiation situation complies with natural background.