Assessment of annual effective dose from external exposure in forests of the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia: 2015–2021

During a stay in a radioactively contaminated forest, a person is inevitably exposed to ionizing radiation from the man-made radionuclides. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the external component of the annual effective dose due to exposure in the forests contaminated following the Chernoby...

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Main Authors: V. P. Ramzaev, A. N. Barkovsky, A. A. Bratilova, A. V. Gromov, N. V. Titov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Saint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. Ramzaev 2022-10-01
Series:Радиационная гигиена
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/891
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author V. P. Ramzaev
A. N. Barkovsky
A. A. Bratilova
A. V. Gromov
N. V. Titov
author_facet V. P. Ramzaev
A. N. Barkovsky
A. A. Bratilova
A. V. Gromov
N. V. Titov
author_sort V. P. Ramzaev
collection DOAJ
description During a stay in a radioactively contaminated forest, a person is inevitably exposed to ionizing radiation from the man-made radionuclides. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the external component of the annual effective dose due to exposure in the forests contaminated following the Chernobyl accident. The study was conducted in the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia in the period 2015–2021. Field (in situ) gamma spectrometric measurements were carried out on 46 forest plots located in the areas of 27 settlements. As of 01.01.2017, the officially established values of soil contamination density with 137Cs in the territory of the settlements themselves were in the range from 33 to 2050 kBq/m2 . According to the field gamma spectrometry, the density of soil contamination with 137Cs on the forest plots varied from 21 to 1930 kBq/m2 . The density of soil contamination with 137Cs in forest was in good agreement with the officially established level of soil contamination with 137Cs in the nearby settlement: the ratio of one indicator to another ranged from 0.70 to 1.32 (mean = 0.94; median = 0.95). The scatter in the measured values of the ambient dose equivalent rate from 137Cs was quite significant: more than one order of magnitude, from 31 to 2700 nSv/h. The variability of the ambient dose equivalent rate from natural radionuclides was relatively small: from 13 to 29 nSv/h. Based on the obtained experimental data and on published values of the duration of human stay in forest, the annual effective dose to selected groups of population was estimated. The dose from natural radionuclides, even in the case of a prolonged stay in the forest (1400 hours per year for foresters), did not exceed 0.02 mSv/year. The estimated values of the effective dose from 137Cs varied very widely from 0.001 to 1.9 mSv/year, depending on the selected forest plot and population group. On the whole, the data obtained indicate that the officially established values of the density of soil contamination with 137Cs in a settlement can be directly used in dosimetric models to estimate the component of the effective dose to a person due to his/her staying in the forest which is located in the area of this settlement. The currently recommended conversion coefficient from the density of soil contamination with 137Cs in a settlement to the ambient dose equivalent rate from 137Cs in the nearby forest is 1.28 (nSv/h)/(kBq/m2 ). To estimate the effective dose from natural radionuclides, it is recommended to use the value of the ambient dose equivalent rate equal to 21 nSv/h.
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spelling doaj.art-f659e31f530b42a5ae03ded65e9a40432023-03-13T09:47:11ZengSaint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. RamzaevРадиационная гигиена1998-426X2022-10-01153587110.21514/1998-426X-2022-15-3-58-71759Assessment of annual effective dose from external exposure in forests of the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia: 2015–2021V. P. Ramzaev0A. N. Barkovsky1A. A. Bratilova2A. V. Gromov3N. V. Titov4Санкт-Петербургский научно-исследовательский институт радиационной гигиены имени профессора П.В. Рамзаева, Федеральная служба по надзору в сфере защиты прав потребителей и благополучия человекаСанкт-Петербургский научно-исследовательский институт радиационной гигиены имени профессора П.В. Рамзаева, Федеральная служба по надзору в сфере защиты прав потребителей и благополучия человекаСанкт-Петербургский научно-исследовательский институт радиационной гигиены имени профессора П.В. Рамзаева, Федеральная служба по надзору в сфере защиты прав потребителей и благополучия человекаСанкт-Петербургский научно-исследовательский институт радиационной гигиены имени профессора П.В. Рамзаева, Федеральная служба по надзору в сфере защиты прав потребителей и благополучия человекаСанкт-Петербургский научно-исследовательский институт радиационной гигиены имени профессора П.В. Рамзаева, Федеральная служба по надзору в сфере защиты прав потребителей и благополучия человекаDuring a stay in a radioactively contaminated forest, a person is inevitably exposed to ionizing radiation from the man-made radionuclides. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the external component of the annual effective dose due to exposure in the forests contaminated following the Chernobyl accident. The study was conducted in the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia in the period 2015–2021. Field (in situ) gamma spectrometric measurements were carried out on 46 forest plots located in the areas of 27 settlements. As of 01.01.2017, the officially established values of soil contamination density with 137Cs in the territory of the settlements themselves were in the range from 33 to 2050 kBq/m2 . According to the field gamma spectrometry, the density of soil contamination with 137Cs on the forest plots varied from 21 to 1930 kBq/m2 . The density of soil contamination with 137Cs in forest was in good agreement with the officially established level of soil contamination with 137Cs in the nearby settlement: the ratio of one indicator to another ranged from 0.70 to 1.32 (mean = 0.94; median = 0.95). The scatter in the measured values of the ambient dose equivalent rate from 137Cs was quite significant: more than one order of magnitude, from 31 to 2700 nSv/h. The variability of the ambient dose equivalent rate from natural radionuclides was relatively small: from 13 to 29 nSv/h. Based on the obtained experimental data and on published values of the duration of human stay in forest, the annual effective dose to selected groups of population was estimated. The dose from natural radionuclides, even in the case of a prolonged stay in the forest (1400 hours per year for foresters), did not exceed 0.02 mSv/year. The estimated values of the effective dose from 137Cs varied very widely from 0.001 to 1.9 mSv/year, depending on the selected forest plot and population group. On the whole, the data obtained indicate that the officially established values of the density of soil contamination with 137Cs in a settlement can be directly used in dosimetric models to estimate the component of the effective dose to a person due to his/her staying in the forest which is located in the area of this settlement. The currently recommended conversion coefficient from the density of soil contamination with 137Cs in a settlement to the ambient dose equivalent rate from 137Cs in the nearby forest is 1.28 (nSv/h)/(kBq/m2 ). To estimate the effective dose from natural radionuclides, it is recommended to use the value of the ambient dose equivalent rate equal to 21 nSv/h.https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/891чернобыльская авария137csлесплотность загрязнения почвыприродные радионуклидымощность амбиентного эквивалента дозыэффективная доза
spellingShingle V. P. Ramzaev
A. N. Barkovsky
A. A. Bratilova
A. V. Gromov
N. V. Titov
Assessment of annual effective dose from external exposure in forests of the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia: 2015–2021
Радиационная гигиена
чернобыльская авария
137cs
лес
плотность загрязнения почвы
природные радионуклиды
мощность амбиентного эквивалента дозы
эффективная доза
title Assessment of annual effective dose from external exposure in forests of the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia: 2015–2021
title_full Assessment of annual effective dose from external exposure in forests of the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia: 2015–2021
title_fullStr Assessment of annual effective dose from external exposure in forests of the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia: 2015–2021
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of annual effective dose from external exposure in forests of the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia: 2015–2021
title_short Assessment of annual effective dose from external exposure in forests of the south-western districts of the Bryansk region of Russia: 2015–2021
title_sort assessment of annual effective dose from external exposure in forests of the south western districts of the bryansk region of russia 2015 2021
topic чернобыльская авария
137cs
лес
плотность загрязнения почвы
природные радионуклиды
мощность амбиентного эквивалента дозы
эффективная доза
url https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/891
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AT avgromov assessmentofannualeffectivedosefromexternalexposureinforestsofthesouthwesterndistrictsofthebryanskregionofrussia20152021
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