Radioactive contamination of the Techa River, the Urals

• Published in: Health physics (1958) Vol. 65; no. 5; p. 481
• Main Authors: Trapeznikov, A V, Pozolotina, V N, Chebotina MYa, Chukanov, V N, Trapeznikova, V N, Kulikov, N V, Nielsen, S P, Aarkrog, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.1993
• Subjects: Nuclear Energy; Radioactive Waste; Russia; Water Pollution, Radioactive; Russia
• ISSN: 0017-9078
• DOI: 10.1097/00004032-199311000-00002

The Techa River in the Urals was contaminated with high-level radioactive waste from the MAJAK nuclear installation around 1950. The total discharge to the river amounted to 100 PBq with 90Sr and 137Cs contributing approximately 10 PBq each. This study has shown that the river presently contains approximately 0.3 TBq 90Sr, > 6 TBq 137Cs, and approximately 8 GBq 239,240Pu. The estimates were made for the part of the river starting 50 km from the point of discharge and ending 240 km downstream at the confluence with the Iset River. Radioactivity was measured only in the upper 0.10-m sediments layer. The external dose rates from the contamination range from 0.1-30 microGy h-1. The activity concentrations decrease exponentially or by power functions with distance.