Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, FRC Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy SB, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
Sci Rep. 2017 Sep 11;7(1):11132. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-11557-7.
The long-term operation of three reactors and the radiochemical plant of the Mining-and-Chemical Combine (MCC), Russia's largest producer of weapons-grade plutonium, has resulted in radioactive contamination of the Yenisei River floodplain. From 1995 to 2016, we found more than 200 radioactive particles (RP) in the Yenisei floodplain, downstream of the MCC. Analytical characterization showed that most of the RP were fuel particles, which were carried into the river after incidents at the MCC reactors. Having compared the Cs/Cs ratios in the particles, we determined three time intervals when the RP were formed. The plutonium isotope ratios (Pu/Pu) vary substantially between the particles and indicate several different source terms. In addition to fuel RP, we found particles that only contained activation products (Co or europium isotopes). SEM and γ-spectrometry showed that the cobalt particles could have originated from the corrosion of the reactor coolant system and the europium particles - from the damaged compensating rods. No europium particles have been found anywhere else in the world. The presence of RP from different sources (fuel, cobalt, and europium particles) in the Yenisei River floodplain makes this region a unique site for studying environmental effects of the particles. These RP represent point sources of radioecological significance.
俄罗斯最大的武器级钚生产厂采矿与化学联合公司（MCC）的三个反应堆和放射性化工厂长期运行，导致了叶尼塞河泛滥平原受到放射性污染。1995 年至 2016 年，我们在 MCC 下游的叶尼塞河泛滥平原发现了 200 多个放射性粒子（RP）。分析特征表明，大多数 RP 是燃料粒子，是在 MCC 反应堆事故后被带入河流的。通过比较粒子中的 Cs/Cs 比值，我们确定了 RP 形成的三个时间间隔。粒子之间的钚同位素比值（Pu/Pu）差异很大，表明有几个不同的源项。除了燃料 RP，我们还发现了只含有活化产物（钴或铕同位素）的粒子。SEM 和γ谱仪表明，钴粒子可能来自反应堆冷却剂系统的腐蚀，而铕粒子则可能来自受损的补偿棒。世界上其他地方都没有发现铕粒子。叶尼塞河泛滥平原上存在来自不同来源（燃料、钴和铕粒子）的 RP，这使该地区成为研究粒子对环境影响的独特地点。这些 RP 代表具有放射性生态意义的点状污染源。
