The paper presents at first time in Russian the experience of decontamination of settlements located in the ‘Strict control area’ of the Bryansk region. Large scale decontamination campaign was implemented in summer 1989 by Russian Civil Defence forces jointly with the experts of the Institute of Radiation Hygiene. Radiological criteria  for  decontamination  are  presented  and  external  dosimetry  of  the  public  considered.  Recommendations for  decontamination  of  settlements  were  developed  based  on  modeling  and  experiments.  During  five  months, 93  settlements  with  population  of  90  this.  were  decontaminated.  Repeated  radiation  measurements  next  year and  afterwards  proved  that  there  was  no  radioactive  re-contamination  of  the  treated  areas.  Effectiveness  of decontamination was estimated by modeling and by individual TLD measurements conducted before and after decontamination. The results of two methods agreed well and the average effectiveness was estimated as 20%. The collective effective dose averted by the decontamination works in 1989 was estimated as 350 man-Sv.

Mathematical ratios were established according to the description of the calculation procedure for the values of the nominal risk coefficient given in the ICRP Recommendations 2007. It is shown that the lifetime radiogenic risk is a linear functional from the distribution of the dose in time with a multiplier descending with age. As a consequence, application of the nominal risk coefficient in the risk calculations is justified in the case when prolonged exposure is practically evenly distributed in time, and gives a significant deviation at a single exposure. When using the additive model of radiogenic risk proposed in the UNSCEAR Report 2006 for solid cancers, this factor is almost linearly decreasing with the age, which is convenient for its practical application.

The results are presented of the late health effects assessment for the population of the East-Urals radioactive trace exposed to the long-term influence of external and internal exposure (average dose to stomach accumulated during the whole period of surveillance amounts 0,03 Gy, maximal – 0,69 Gy). For the first time, individualized doses were used in the analyses which were calculated basing on the TRDS-2009 dosimetric system. It has been shown that the risk value per unit dose for solid cancer mortality inChelyabinsksubcohort of East Ural radioactive trace associated with a long-term exposure at low to medium doses is similar to that estimated for cases of acute exposure at high doses. The results are comparable to those obtained for the members of the Techa River Cohort.

A new criteria of the referring solid, liquid and gaseous waste to radioactive categories are analyzed, which  were  approved  by  Russian  Federation  Government  Resolution  №  1069,  October  19,  2012.  Following amendments  introduced  in  BSRRSP-99/2010  (Supplement  №  1,  2013)  and  SRRWT-2002  (Supplements  № 2, 2013) are analyzed as well. Brief analysis is given of the difference of new criteria of the reference waste to radioactive categories in comparison with BSRRSP-99/2010.

Substantiation is given for the content and volume of radiation monitoring carrying out in the territories of Russian  Federation  subjects  in  the  frames  of  radiation-hygienic  passportization  of  the  territories. The  main requirements are formulated to the different types of radiation monitoring. The results are given of the analysis of the volumes of radiation monitoring which was carried out by the subjects ofRussian Federationfor the filling in radiation-hygienic passports of the territories in 2012. The reality is shown of the realization of suggested minimal values of radiation monitoring.

The main difficulties at an assessment of connection of a clinical syndrome with radiation exposure are analyzed. Most simply the problem is solved for connection of the determined effects with radiation exposure especially for the time periods shortly after the exposure. The greatest difficulties concern nonspecific polyfactorial syndromes in elderly individuals being at a distance from contact with radiation sources. Practice of the activities of advisory councils and argumentation of conclusions preceding decision-making is discussed. Possible sources are defined for the replenishment of the data specifying connection of the changes in the main critical organs with radiation exposure in relation with radiation exposure or carrying out some medical actions (transplantation of tissues, repeated transfusions of blood components, surgery).

The questions are considered, connected with the modern state ofRussian Federationpopulation radiation protection during the exposure from ionizing irradiation sources. It is shown that the System of Radiation-Hygienic Passportization and Integrated State System for Doses Control and Registration basing on the statistic form № 4-DOS functioning for more than 15 years already led to situation when population natural exposure levels are comprehensively studied, but practical measures for their decreasing are rare in the country. Possible directions are considered for the improving of the system of population radiation protection providing during the exposure from natural ionizing irradiation sources.

The present overview describes the results of the 25-year studies devoted to the estimation of the contribution of radionuclide containing mushrooms to the internal exposure dose to the population affected by the Chernobyl NPP accident. A significant increase with the time after the accident is shown for the contribution of mushrooms to the population internal exposure dose. Factors are identified influencing variability in the estimations of radionuclide from the mushroom component contribution to the population internal exposure dose.