Radioactive contamination of Russia's Techa River
- Socio-Ecological Union, Moscow (Russian Federation)
- Coordination Committee on Radiation Safety of the Krasnoyarsk (Russian Federation)
From 1949 to 1956, the ecosystem of the Techa River in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia was contaminated by the discharge of liquid radioactive wastes from the radiochemical production complex [open quotes]Mayak.[close quotes] Further distribution of radionuclides resulted in contamination of riverside territories such as the settlement Muslyumovo and was most pronounced in places used as pastures, for laying in fodder, and for fishing and swimming. First, the Techa River is simultaneously a depository-dump and the main source of such radionuclides as [sup 137]Cs, [sup 90]Sr, and [sup 239]Pu in the riverside environment. Secondly, the land formations and geochemical properties of the soils and sediments in the Techa River floodplain promote the accumulation of radionuclides in vegetation and, as a result, their further migration to animals that come in contact with or consume the vegetation. In addition, the contamination of Muslyumovo is exacerbated by high levels of radioactive contamination of living organisms with [sup 137]Cs and [sup 90]Sr, as well as by the presence of alpha-emitting isotopes. Data suggest that the respiratory system in humans is the most probable path of exposure to alpha-emitters. 4 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 5933510
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science and Technology; (United States), Vol. 27:4; ISSN 0013-936X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ECOSYSTEMS
CONTAMINATION
RIVERS
ALPHA SOURCES
CESIUM 137
PLUTONIUM 239
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
STRONTIUM 90
USSR
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ASIA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
EUROPE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ION SOURCES
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PARTICLE SOURCES
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOISOTOPES
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
STREAMS
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
070602* - Isotope & Radiation Source Technology- Environmental Aspects- Radioactive Effluents- (1992-)
540330 - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540310 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (1990-)