Environmental radionuclide distribution in Georgia after the Chernobyl accident

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Journal of Analytical Chemistry

OSTI ID:171772

Mosulishvili, L M; Shoniya, N I; Katamadze, N M ^[1]

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1. Institute of Physics, Tbilisi, Georgia (Russian Federation); and others

Atmospheric Chernobyl-released radioactivity, assessed at about 2 x 10{sup 18} Bq, caused global environmental contamination. Contaminated air masses appeared in the Transcaucasian region in early May, 1986. Rains that month promoted intense radionuclide deposition all over Georgia. The contamination level of western Georgia considerably exceeded the contamination level of eastern Georgia. The Black Sea coast of Georgia suffered from the Chernobyl accident as much as did strongly contaminated areas of the Ukraine and Belarus`. Unfortunately, governmental decrees on countermeasures against the consequences of the Chernobyl accident at that time did not even refer to the coast of Georgia. The authors observed the first increase in radioactivity background in rainfall samples collected on May 2, 1986, in Tbilisi. {gamma}-Spectrometric measurements of aerosol filters, vegetation, food stuffs, and other objects, in addition to rainfall, persistently confirmed the occurrence of short-lived radionuclides, including {sup 131}I. At first, this fact seemed unbelievable, because the Chernobyl accident had occurred only 4-5 days earlier and far from Georgia. However, these arguments proved to be faulty. Soon, environmental monitoring of radiation in Georgia became urgent. Environmental radionuclide distribution in Georgia shortly after the Chernobyl accident, as well as the methods of analysis, are reported in this paper.

• OSTI ID: 171772
• Journal Information: Journal of Analytical Chemistry, Journal Name: Journal of Analytical Chemistry Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 49; ISSN 1061-9348; ISSN JACTE2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
40 CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR
FALLOUT DEPOSITS
GAMMA RADIATION
MELTDOWN
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA