α-Particle track investigation of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident region soil samples

• Published in: Radiation measurements Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 529 - 532
• Main Authors: Kashkarov, L.L., Kalinina, G.V., Perelygin, V.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2003
• Subjects: Chernobyl accident region; CZ plastic track detector; Highly-radioactive “hot” particles; Radio-nuclide soil contamination; α Tracks; Highly-radioactive “hot” particles; Radio-nuclide soil contamination; Chernobyl accident region; CZ plastic track detector; α Tracks
• ISSN: 1350-4487; 1879-0925
• DOI: 10.1016/S1350-4487(03)00199-9

Results of α-particle track studies (Radiat. Meas. 25(1–4) (1995) 413; Radionuclides and Heavy metals in Environment, Vol. 5, 2001, Kluwer Academic Publisher, Dordrecht) indicate that the surface (⩽5 cm) layer of the soil in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident region consists of thinly dispersed radionuclides and highly-radioactive “hot” particles (HPs). The latter contain nearly 2/3rds of the total α-activity of the contaminated soil. In the present report, the new results of continued HP α-activity characteristics are presented. The chief attempt made was to investigate size–frequency vs. α-activity distribution of HPs of size fraction ⩽10– 100 μm . For the Hp-aggregates with ∼100– 1000 μm sizes, α-radio-nuclide heterogeneity was established. This is probably the result of formation of HP-aggregates during the second stage of the NPP accident process: in these HPs the presence of not only U and fission products of “fuel” origin has been revealed, but also of terrestrial matter components.