Public exposure in the Orenburg region due to natural sources of ionizing radiation. Part 1: Results of the comprehensive survey of settlements in the eastern districts of the Orenburg region
https://doi.org/10.21514/1998-426X-2023-16-1-6-18
Abstract
The paper presents results of a comprehensive radiation survey conducted in 2019 in six districts of the eastern part of the Orenburg region in 37 settlements with previously found elevated levels of activity concentration of natural radionuclides in tap water from groundwater sources of drinking water supply. The survey included measurements of indoor radon concentrations and EEC in residential and public buildings, as well as measurements of ambient dose equivalent rate of gamma radiation indoors and outdoors. The survey revealed that annual average indoor radon EEC in many residential buildings in 23 settlements and public buildings in 25 settlements exceeded the hygienic norm (action level) of 200 Bq/m3 adopted in Russia for existing buildings. The highest values of annual average indoor radon EEC were obtained in residential buildings in Novovinnitskoe (1242 Bq/m3), Bratslavka (987 Bq/m3) and Anikhovka (942 Bq/m3) in Adamovsky district, and in public buildings in Kvarkeno (2291 Bq/m3) in Kvarkensky district, Karabutak (1114 Bq/m3) and Novovinnitskoe (923 Bq/m3) in Adamovsky district. The established hygienic norms in terms of ambient dose equivalent rate indoors and outdoors were not exceeded in the surveyed settlements. Results of the survey showed that the main reason for high indoor radon concentrations in residential and public buildings in the settlements of the eastern part of the Orenburg region is not related to the usage of tap water from groundwater sources of drinking water supply with elevated levels of activity concentration of natural radionuclides.
Keywords
About the Authors
T. A. KormanovskayaRussian Federation
For correspondence: Tatyana A. Kormanovskaya – Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Leading researcher, Laboratory for dosimetry of natural sources of radiation
Saint-Petersburg
I. K. Romanovich
Russian Federation
Ivan K. Romanovich – Dr. Sc. Med., Prof., Academician of Russian Academy of Sciences, Director
Saint-Petersburg
N. E. Vyaltsina
Russian Federation
Natalya E. Vyaltsina – Head
Orenburg
S. V. Gaevoy
Russian Federation
Sergey V. Gaevoy – Head of the Department of the surveillance on transport, working conditions and radiation hygiene
Orenburg
L. V. Bondar
Russian Federation
Leonid V. Bondar – Head of the radiation hygiene department
Orenburg
D. V. Kononenko
Russian Federation
Dmitry V. Kononenko – Researcher, Laboratory for dosimetry of natural sources of radiation
Saint-Petersburg
K. A. Saprykin
Russian Federation
Kirill A. Saprykin – Senior researcher, Head of the Laboratory for dosimetry of natural sources of radiation
Saint-Petersburg
E. S. Kokoulina
Russian Federation
Elena S. Kokoulina – Leading research engineer, Laboratory for dosimetry of natural sources of radiation
Saint-Petersburg
T. A. Balabina
Russian Federation
Tatyana A. Balabina – Leading research engineer, Laboratory for dosimetry of natural sources of radiation
Saint-Petersburg
N. A. Koroleva
Russian Federation
Nadezhda А. Koroleva – Senior researcher, Laboratory for dosimetry of natural sources of radiation
Saint-Petersburg
References
1. Kormanovskaya TA, Romanovich IK, Saprykin KA, Vyaltsina NE, Gaevoy SV, Konovalov VYu, et al. Provision of the radiation safety of the public of the eastern districts of the Orenburg region for the use of the drinking water from the underground water supply sources. Radiatsionnaya Gygiena = Radiation Hygiene. 2020;13(3): 87–97. DOI: 10.21514/1998-426X-2020-13-3-87-97. (In Russian).
2. From the history of the development of virgin and fallow lands in the Orenburg region (collection of documents and materials). Orenburg: State Archive of the Orenburg region; 1988. 148 p. (In Russian).
3. Kononenko DV. Analysis of distributions of indoor radon concentrations in the regions of the Russian Federation. Radiatsionnaya Gygiena = Radiation Hygiene. 2019;12(1): 85–103. DOI: 10.21514/1998-426X-2019-12-1-85-103. (In Russian).
4. Marennyy AM, Kononenko DV, Trufanova AE. Radon survey in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, in 2008–2011. Analysis of spatial variability of indoor radon concentration. Radiatsionnaya Gygiena = Radiation Hygiene. 2020;13(3): 51–67. DOI: 10.21514/1998-426X-2020-13-3-51-67. (In Russian).
5. Kononenko DV. Application of the β-substitution method for analyzing censored data on indoor radon concentrations. Radiatsionnaya Gygiena = Radiation Hygiene. 2019; 12(4): 47–55. DOI: 10.21514/1998-426X-2019-12-4-47-55. (In Russian)
6. Measurement and reporting of radon exposures. ICRU Report No. 88. Journal of the ICRU 12 (2). Oxford University Press; 2012. 191 p.
Review
For citations:
Kormanovskaya T.A., Romanovich I.K., Vyaltsina N.E., Gaevoy S.V., Bondar L.V., Kononenko D.V., Saprykin K.A., Kokoulina E.S., Balabina T.A., Koroleva N.A. Public exposure in the Orenburg region due to natural sources of ionizing radiation. Part 1: Results of the comprehensive survey of settlements in the eastern districts of the Orenburg region. Radiatsionnaya Gygiena = Radiation Hygiene. 2023;16(1):6-18. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21514/1998-426X-2023-16-1-6-18