Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
J Radiol Prot. 2021 Jun 1;41(2). doi: 10.1088/1361-6498/abdfbb.
The process of nuclear weapons production from 1949 to 1987 was accompanied by the generation of a great amount of radioactive waste. Waste processing operations and controls on discharges at this time were not to the same standard as today. Because of this, vast areas of the Urals region of Russia surrounding the Mayak Production Association (MPA) were exposed to routine and accidental radioactive contamination. The greatest contribution to the contamination was gas aerosol emissions from the MPA in the 1950s (total activity 38 PBq, mainlyI), releases of liquid radioactive waste into the Techa River from 1949 to 1956 (total activity 115 PBq, including long-livedSr andCs) and accidental atmospheric releases as a result of the thermochemical explosion of the storage tank for liquid radioactive waste in 1957 (74 PBq, relatively short-lived radionuclides being the main contributors). Protective measures helped to relieve the pressing problem of population safety in the 1950s and 1960s, but they led to the appearance of new sources of contamination in the territory surrounding the MPA-Lake Karachay (total activity of beta-emitters 4400 PBq) and the Techa Cascade of Reservoirs (TCR; total activity 8 PBq). Owing to natural radioactive decay and rehabilitation measures, the radiation situation in the East Urals Radioactive Trace (EURT) has improved considerably over the years. Economic activity has been partially restored in these territories. Only the most contaminated territory of the East Urals Radioactive Reserve cannot be used for any economic activities up to the present day. Marked non-uniformity of radioactive contamination of the EURT and the Techa River floodplain, as well as radionuclide washout from Lake Karachay and the TCR into the underground waters and the Techa River require on-going radioecological monitoring, management and regulatory supervision.
从 1949 年到 1987 年，核武器生产过程产生了大量放射性废物。当时的废物处理操作和排放控制标准与今天不同。因此，俄罗斯乌拉尔地区环绕 Mayak 生产协会（MPA）的大片区域受到了常规和意外放射性污染。最大的污染贡献来自 MPA 在 20 世纪 50 年代的气体气溶胶排放（总活度 38 PBq，主要为I）、1949 年至 1956 年向 Techa 河排放的液态放射性废物（总活度 115 PBq，包括长寿命Sr 和Cs）以及 1957 年液态放射性废物储存罐的热化学爆炸造成的意外大气释放（74 PBq，相对短寿命放射性核素是主要贡献者）。防护措施有助于缓解 20 世纪 50 年代和 60 年代的人口安全问题，但也导致 MPA 附近的新污染来源出现，包括 Karachay 湖（β放射性活度 4400 PBq）和 Techa 河水库区（TCR；总活度 8 PBq）。由于天然放射性衰变和修复措施，多年来，东乌拉尔放射性踪迹（EURT）的辐射状况已得到显著改善。这些地区的经济活动已部分恢复。直到今天，东乌拉尔放射性储备中污染最严重的区域仍无法用于任何经济活动。EURT 和 Techa 河泛滥平原的放射性污染程度存在明显的不均匀性，以及从 Karachay 湖和 TCR 向地下水和 Techa 河冲刷的放射性核素，需要进行持续的放射性生态监测、管理和监管监督。
