Radioactive Fallout After Nuclear Explosions and Accidents

309 Pages·2002·13.79 MB·English

by  Yu.A. Izrael (Eds.)

RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT AFTER NUCLEAR
EXPLOSIONS AND ACCIDENTS
RADIOACTIVITY IN THE ENVIRONMENT
A companion series to the Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Series Editor
M.S. Baxter
Ampfield House
Clachan Seil
Argyll, Scotland, UK
Volume 1: Plutonium in the Environment
(A. Kudo, Editor)
Volume 2: Interactions of Microorganisms with Radionuclides
(ER. Livens and M. Keith-Roach, Editors)
Volume 3: Radioactive Fallout after Nuclear Explosions and Accidents
(Yu.A. Izrael, Author)
RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT AFTER NUCLEAR
EXPLOSIONS AND ACCIDENTS
(Translated from the original Russian Work)
By
Yuri A. Izrael
Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology
and Environmental Monitoring, Institute of Global Climate and Ecology
Glebovskaya str., 20b, Moscow, 107258, Russian Federation
Editor of English Translation
M.S. Baxter
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First edition 2002
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This book is a translation of a book by the Author originally published in Russian, with substantial
revisions and a new final chapter written by the Author. Translated from Russian by O.V. Glushko
(chapters 1, 5, 6) and N.A. Zaitseva (all other chapters).
ISBN: 0-08-043855-5
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Summary
The results of many years of study of radioactive fallout from atmospheric and underground
nuclear explosions and accidents are summarized in this book.
The formation of radioactive aerosol particles, the composition of radionuclides and
their fractionation in nuclear explosions conducted under various conditions are analyzed.
Much attention is also given to the meteorological aspects of fallout, the modeling of
the transport of radioactivity, the reconstruction and retrospective analysis of the initial
radiation patterns from nuclear explosions/accidents and the analysis of radiation exposure
dose rates to populations.
A considerable section of the book is devoted to long-term studies of radioactive fallout
following the Chernobyl accident and special attention is given to the problems of restora-
tion and remediation of lands contaminated as a result of nuclear accidents/explosions.
The book is based on material obtained directly by the author or through his participation
in cooperative programs; in addition, a vast amount of material of Soviet (Russian) research
and that of foreign authors is summarized. An English translation of an earlier Russian-
language version of this book has been supplemented here by recent results that have
been published during the past 5-6 years as well as material from special symposia and
conferences. A new final chapter on remediation of contaminated sites has been added.
The book is intended for various specialists--geophysicists, ecologists, health experts
and inspectors, as well as those who are concerned with radioactive contamination of
natural environments.
vii
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Preface
From the time the very first nuclear weapon tests were conducted (in 1945 in the USA
and in 1949 in the USSR), it became evident that the resulting radioactive contamination
of the earth's surface was a serious issue. Further, it became clear that this radioactive
contamination of the environment presented a danger to populations living outside the
immediate vicinity of the nuclear test sites. Thus, on a number of islands in the Pacific
Ocean (USA tests) and in regions contiguous with the Semipalatinsk site (USSR tests),
the local populations were exposed to nuclear radiation. Nuclear tests conducted at ground
level are particularly dangerous from the point of view of this radioactive contamination.
In the early 1960's, global radioactive fallout increased over vast territories of the earth.
This arose from the deposition of the longer-lived radioactive products of powerful nuclear
explosions that had been injected into the stratosphere. Since the signing, in 1963, of
the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, in space and
under water, the quantities of both local and global radioactive fallout have decreased
substantially. However, not all countries adhere(d) to the treaty. Further, underground
nuclear explosions were still carried out and when venting of the explosions occurred,
radioactive material was released to the atmosphere.
In the early 1970's, international discussions took place with regard to the possible
exploitation of the energy created by underground nuclear explosions for peaceful
purposes, such as for the creation of water channels, improving the output of gas and oil
recovery and in the mining of minerals. Although many specialists emphasized the positive
aspects of the use of underground nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes, it became more
and more evident that the radioactive contamination of natural environments was a decisive
factor in the rejection of this approach.
In the second half of the 20th century, several significant nuclear accidents occurred, e.g.,
at the nuclear power station in Windscale (Great Britain), at two nuclear enterprises in the
Southern Urals (USSR) and at the nuclear power station at Three-Mile-Island (USA). On
April 26, 1986, the largest accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power station (NPS)
in the Ukraine, resulting in vast territories being contaminated with radioactivity, about
135 thousand people being obliged to evacuate their homes and workplaces and hundreds
of thousands of others being exposed to radiation.
Thus these events of the past 50 years have heralded the new nuclear era for humanity
and have resulted in significant increases in the surface contamination of our planet by
radioactivity. The additional radiation dose to the population from this nuclear radiation is
comparable to that from the natural radiation background and in some regions it exceeds
the background values.
Although populations, especially those residing near nuclear test sites, have always
expressed their anxiety with respect to increased levels of radiation, the Chernobyl accident
resulted in a new wave of such anxiety. People have become interested not only in the