Potential threat to human health during forest fires in the Belarusian exclusion zone
Dvornik, Alexander A. LU
; Dvornik, Alexander M.
; Korol, Raisa A.
; Shamal, Natalia V.
; Gaponenko, Sergey O.
and Bardyukova, Alesya V.
(2018)
In Aerosol Science and Technology
52(8).
p.923-932
- Abstract
Forest fires are of special interest for Belarus because of radioactive contamination caused by the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This work aims to determine the potential activity of long-lived radionuclides in surface air caused by forest fires and to estimate the potential health threat to firefighters. The methodology is based on measurements of radioactivity released by forest fuel materials using a combustion chamber. The emissions were combined with a simple dispersion model to estimate air concentrations and dose to firefighters. The inhalation dose from transuranium elements tend to be an order of magnitude greater than that from Cesium-137. Although there was variability among sites, about half of the... (More)
Forest fires are of special interest for Belarus because of radioactive contamination caused by the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This work aims to determine the potential activity of long-lived radionuclides in surface air caused by forest fires and to estimate the potential health threat to firefighters. The methodology is based on measurements of radioactivity released by forest fuel materials using a combustion chamber. The emissions were combined with a simple dispersion model to estimate air concentrations and dose to firefighters. The inhalation dose from transuranium elements tend to be an order of magnitude greater than that from Cesium-137. Although there was variability among sites, about half of the total dose was caused by external radiation, as measured by dosimeters. Overall effective radiation dose ranged from 3 to 7 uSv for a 1-h exposure, far below the annual effective dose of 20 mSv for workers and 1 mSv for the public. Although, the risk of exceeding annual effective dose limits is low during small fires, such data are important to inform the population and reduce social and psychological stress caused by popular sources.
(Less)
- author
- Dvornik, Alexander A.
LU
; Dvornik, Alexander M.
; Korol, Raisa A.
; Shamal, Natalia V.
; Gaponenko, Sergey O.
and Bardyukova, Alesya V.
- publishing date
- 2018-08-03
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- keywords
- Nicole Riemer
- in
- Aerosol Science and Technology
- volume
- 52
- issue
- 8
- pages
- 923 - 932
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85052049136
- ISSN
- 0278-6826
- DOI
- 10.1080/02786826.2018.1482408
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- .
- id
- bc00ac1a-9b6f-473f-97de-ad31585a0091
- date added to LUP
- 2025-01-30 10:59:11
- date last changed
- 2025-01-30 11:09:48
@article{bc00ac1a-9b6f-473f-97de-ad31585a0091,
abstract = {{<p>Forest fires are of special interest for Belarus because of radioactive contamination caused by the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This work aims to determine the potential activity of long-lived radionuclides in surface air caused by forest fires and to estimate the potential health threat to firefighters. The methodology is based on measurements of radioactivity released by forest fuel materials using a combustion chamber. The emissions were combined with a simple dispersion model to estimate air concentrations and dose to firefighters. The inhalation dose from transuranium elements tend to be an order of magnitude greater than that from Cesium-137. Although there was variability among sites, about half of the total dose was caused by external radiation, as measured by dosimeters. Overall effective radiation dose ranged from 3 to 7 uSv for a 1-h exposure, far below the annual effective dose of 20 mSv for workers and 1 mSv for the public. Although, the risk of exceeding annual effective dose limits is low during small fires, such data are important to inform the population and reduce social and psychological stress caused by popular sources.</p>}},
author = {{Dvornik, Alexander A. and Dvornik, Alexander M. and Korol, Raisa A. and Shamal, Natalia V. and Gaponenko, Sergey O. and Bardyukova, Alesya V.}},
issn = {{0278-6826}},
keywords = {{Nicole Riemer}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{08}},
number = {{8}},
pages = {{923--932}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Aerosol Science and Technology}},
title = {{Potential threat to human health during forest fires in the Belarusian exclusion zone}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2018.1482408}},
doi = {{10.1080/02786826.2018.1482408}},
volume = {{52}},
year = {{2018}},
}