Nuclear hazards in the world : field studies on affected populations and environments ; with 28 tables

This book provides updated information on a number of radiologically hazardous areas, based on recent field work. From Chernobyl to plutonium production complexes, from Hiroshima to former Soviet and U.S. nuclear test sites, the relationship between contamination levels and doses in the population and the recovery from hazards are discussed in detail. The author assesses the far-reaching effects of radiological hazards on population, environment, agriculture and more. Title Page 2 Copyright Page 3 Acknowledgments 4 Preface 7 Table of Contents 9 1 Overview of Nuclear Disasters 12 1.1 The Tragedy in Hiroshima 13 1.2 Survivors 15 1.3 Physical Phenomena of Nuclear Explosion 17 1.4 The Fireball and Radioactive Cloud 19 1.5 Nuclear Test Explosions 20 1.6 Classification of Nuclear Explosions 21 1.7. Nuclear Facility Accidents and Radiation Exposure 23 1.8 Field Investigations of Nuclear Hazards 24 REFERENCES 26 2 Pollution around the Mayak Plutonium Production Complex 27 2.1 A Brief History of the Radiological Hazards in the Southern Urals 28 2.2 Radiological Investigations in Various Settlements 30 2.2.1 Muslyumovo Techa River 1949-1956 30 2.2.2 Bashakul Lake Karachay Trace 1967 32 2.2.3 Karabolka EURT 1957 33 2.3 Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine 34 2.3.1 Strontium-90 in the Body 35 2.3.2 Cesium and Plutonium 36 2.4 Summary 37 REFERENCES 38 3 Semipalatinsk Nuclear Tests 39 3.1 A Brief History of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site 39 3.2 Thermoluminescence Dosimetry for Exposed Bricks 43 3.3 External Dose Reconstruction 45 3.4 External Dose to Populations 47 3.5 Present Status of Radiation in and around Test Sites 49 3.6 Summary 52 REFERENCES 53 4 Toward Resettlement on Rongelap Island 55 4.1 A Brief History of the Nuclear Disaster on Rongelap Island 55 4. 2 Resettlement Program of Rongelap Island 5 58 4.3 Radiation Survey of Rongelap Atoll in 1999 59 4.3.1 Cesium-137 Body Burden in Workers 62 4.4 Recovery from Nuclear Hazard on Rongelap Island and Islands to the North 63 4.5 Summary 66 REFERENCES 67 5 Nuclear Explosions Conducted for Peaceful Purposes 68 5.1 Industrial Application of Nuclear Explosions in the Former USSR 68 5.2 Dam Construction Involving Nuclear Explosion 70 5.3 Underground Nuclear Explosions in Sakha 71 5.4 Radiological Conditions around Kraton-4 73 5.5 Underground Radioactivity of Kraton-4 76 5.6 Summary 78 REFERENCES 78 6 Strict Control Zone after the Chernobyl Accident 79 6.1 Historical Review of the Chemobyl Nuclear Disaster1 79 6.2 The 30-km Zone around Chernoby1 in 1996 83 6.3 The Most Contaminated Settlement, Zaborie, Russia, in 1997 86 6.3.1 Field Work9 86 6.3.2 Estimation of Prospective Dose from 1997 to 2047 89 6.3.3 Doses during 1986-1996 91 6.4 Intervention of the Fonner USSR for Radiation Protection of theInhabitants7 92 6.5 Summary 94 REFERENCES 94 7 Radiation Exposure of the Population in the Tokaimura Criticality Accident 96 7.1 A Brief Review of the Tokaimura Criticality Accident 96 7.2 Evacuation of Residents 98 7.3 Directional Distribution of Radiation in the Residential Area 99 7.4 External Dose to Residents within a 350-m Zone8 101 7.4.1 Facts on Dose for the Residents 101 7.4.2 Method of Dose Reconstruction for the Residents 102 7.4.3 Confirmation of Dosimetry 104 7.4.4 External Doses to 41 Houses West of the Accident Site 105 7.5 Summary 107 REFERENCES 108 8 Nuclear Hazard and Recovery 110 8.1 Concept of Nuclear Hazard 110 8.2 Psychological Influence and Over-reaction in Society 113 8.3 Summary of Nuclear Disasters Worldwide 114 8.4 Radiological Status of Nuclear Hazards in the World 116 8.5 Body Burden of Radioactivity for Residents in Nuclear Hazard Areas 118 8.6 Decay of Local Radioactive Contamination Due to Environmental Factors 119 8.7 Revival of Hiroshima 120 REFERENCES 122 Appendices 123 A1 Glossary 123 A2 Dose Level and Risk of Radiation Exposure 124 A3 Metric Multiples and Submultiples 124 A4 External and Internal Exposure from Radioactivity 125 A5 Radiation Effects on Human Body 126 A6 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection and Related Values 126 A7 Radiation Shield 127 A8 Radiation Protection in Emergencies 128 A9 Effects and Radiation Protection in the Case of Nuclear Weapons Terrorism 130 A10 Nuclear Fuel Recycling 131 Index 136

The far-reaching effects of radiological hazards on population, environment, agriculture etc., are not yet clear and only limited research is being done in this specific field to date. The author provides updated information in several radiological hazardous areas based on field work between 1995 and 2000. The sites include the Techa Riverside, contaminated by the plutonium production complex Mayak in Russia, the area around the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapon test site in Kazakhstan, Rongelap Island contaminated by fallout from a Bravo 15Mt thermonuclear test on Bikini in the Marshall Islands, Sakha with underground nuclear explosions for industrial application, Zaborie Village, the most contaminated area in Russia due to the Chernobyl nuclear accident, Tokaimura, Japan, exposed to radiation in a critically accident and Hiroshima, Japan. The relationship between contamination levels and doses in the population and the recovery from hazards are discussed in detail.

Content: Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Overview of Nuclear Disasters....Pages 1-15 Pollution around the Mayak Plutonium Production Complex....Pages 17-28 Semipalatinsk Nuclear Tests....Pages 29-44 Toward Resettlement on Rongelap Island....Pages 45-57 Nuclear Explosions Conducted for Peaceful Purposes....Pages 59-69 Strict Control Zone after the Chernobyl Accident....Pages 71-87 Radiation Exposure of the Population in the Tokaimura Criticality Accident....Pages 89-102 Nuclear Hazard and Recovery....Pages 103-115 Back Matter....Pages 117-134 "The far-reaching effects of radiological hazards on population, environment, agriculture etc., are not yet clear and only limited research is being done in this specific field to date. The author provides updated information in several radiological hazardous areas based on field work between 1995 and 2002. The relationship between contamination levels and doses in the population and the recovery from hazards are discussed in detail."--BOOK JACKET Presents information on many radiologically hazardous areas, based on field work. This book discusses the relationship between contamination levels and doses in the population and the recovery from hazards, from Chernobyl to plutonium production complexes, from Hiroshima to former Soviet and US nuclear test sites