Radio-Ecological Situation in the Area of the Settlement of Narta (Kalmykia)

Purpose: To assess radio-ecological situation in the settlement of Narta and estimate current public doses.

Material and methods: To measure the ambient dose equivalent rate (ADER), the pedestrian gamma survey method was used using a portable spectrometric complex MKS-01A “Multirad-M” and dosimeter-radiometer MKS- AT6101c. To measure the ADER in courtyards and indoors, a gamma radiation dosimeter DKG-02U “Arbiter” was used. The activity of gamma-emitting radionuclides in soil samples was measured using a stationary gamma spectrometer from CANBERRA. The activities of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb were measured using a radiometric installation UMF-2000 following their radiochemical separation from samples. Volumetric activity (VA) and equilibrium equivalent volumetric activity (EEVA) of radon were measured with an aerosol alpha radiometer for radon and thoron RAA-20P2 “Poisk”, REI-4 cameras with film track detectors of the TRACK-REI 1M set (Russia) and an integrated radon radiometer «Radon Scout PLUS». Public dose assessment was carried out in accordance with a guidelines MU 2.6.1.1088-02.

Results: The average value of the ADER on the territory of the settlement is 0.10±0.01 µSv/h, and in the premises this value is 0.10±0.02 µSv/h. Average annual values of radon VA in dwellings range from 27 to 330 Bq/m³ (average value is 110 Bq/m³, median is 97 Bq/m³). Average annual individual effective radiation doses to the population from all natural factors range from 2.5 to 13 mSv, with an average value of 5.4 and a median of 4.9 mSv.

Conclusions: The radio-ecological situation is the settlement of Narta does not differ from that in the background settlement – the village of Uldyuchiny. The average annual values of EEVA in dwellings and offices of the settlement do not exceed the permissible level for the operating buildings of 200 Bq/m³. The annual individual effective public dose in the village of Narta is higher than the average value for Kalmykia (3.4 mSv) due to increased dose values from the inhalation intake of radon and its daughter radionuclides in the premises.