Aquatic Ecosystems Within the Chernobyl NPP Exclusion Zone: The Latest Data on Radionuclide Contamination and Absorbed Dose for Hydrobionts

The development features of morphological anomalies of the sunbleak (Leucaspius delineates Heckel) skeleton in water bodies, characterized by background (neighbourhood of Kyiv City) and high (Chornobyl exclusion zone) levels of radionuclide contamination were studied. The impact of radionuclide contamination on the appearance of morphological skeletal anomalies of fish was established. The level of radiation background of the natural environment is constantly increasing due to the continuous flow of radioactive substances into the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The causes of the significant deterioration of the existing state are the emergencies at the nuclear fuel cycle enterprises, related to the radionuclide emissions, among which the Chornobyl NPP accident is the most massive catastrophe in the history of nuclear energy, both in terms of the amount of radioactive substances that have been released into the environment and the area of territories that have been contaminated. Despite the fact that part of the radionuclides has decayed more than three decades after the accident, other long-lived substances remain sources of additional ionizing radiation in the environment. This necessitates the study and evaluation of all processes related to radioactive contamination. One of the important tasks of radioecology is to study the characteristics of the receipt, migration and accumulation of radioactive substances by components of aquatic biogeocenosa and their impact on the biota. The radionuclides released into aquatic ecosystems migrate and are most effectively accumulated by the upper trophic levels to which the fish belongs, serving as an important object of radioecological monitoring. The relevance of this study is to detect the influence of radionuclide contamination on the appearance of morphological skeletal anomalies in the fish species typical for the reservoirs of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, which is a representative exemplar of fresh aquatic ecosystems, taking into account the peculiarities of its way of existence. The novelty of the work is determined by the fact that for the mentioned reservoirs the relevant study was conducted for the first time.

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Distribution of 137Cs Between the Components of Pine Forest of Chernobyl NPP Exclusion Zone

Impact of Cesium on Plants and the Environment ◽

10.1007/978-3-319-41525-3_9 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 149-169 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maksim Kudzin ◽

Viachaslau Zabrotski ◽

Dzmitry Harbaruk

Keyword(s):

Pine Forest ◽

Exclusion Zone ◽

Chernobyl Npp

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Some Aspects of Radioecological Monitoring of High Aquatic Plants From Water-Bodies Within the Chernobyl Accident Exclusion Zone

ASME 2009 12th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management, Volume 2 ◽

10.1115/icem2009-16368 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Natalie L. Shevtsova ◽

Dmitriy I. Gudkov ◽

Andrian A. Yavnyuk

Keyword(s):

Chernobyl Accident ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Absorbed Dose ◽

Common Reed ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Low Doses ◽

Exclusion Zone ◽

Absorbed Dose Rate ◽

The Common ◽

High Level

The impact analysis of low doses of ionizing radiation on the breathers in natural populations is an important part of radiobiological studies of non-human biota. The main aim of our studies was to investigate some cytogenetic, morphological and reproductive rates of the common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex. Steud.) from different water bodies within the Chernobyl accident exclusion zone. The absorbed dose rate for littoral emergent plants in sampling water bodies was varied from 1.3E−02 to 1.6E−01 Gy/h. The rate and main types of chromosome aberrations in roots meristems, morphological damages in seed germs, as well as rates of germinating ability and power were analyzed. There were registered rather low rate of germinating ability (14–48%) and germinating power (<1) of seeds from all sampling water bodies with high levels of radioactive contamination in comparison to control ones. Against the general suppressed background the effect of relative stimulation of more affected seeds was observed. With increase of absorbed dose in range of 1.3E−02–1.6E−01 Gy/h the number of germinated seeds was increased. At the same time the number of morphological damages of seeds was increased as well. There was determined the positive correlation between absorbed dose rate and chromosome aberration rate in roots of the common reed from sampling water bodies. The highest rate of chromosome aberrations (up to 17%) were registered in plants with high level of morphological deviations in seeds germs. The data obtained from the complex analysis of natural populations of the common reed from the radioactive contaminated water bodies testify about rather high level of genetic efficiency of low doses of long-term exposure.

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Hydrotechnical facilities within the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exclusion zone: impacts on hydrologic regime and plant growth patterns of floodplain water bodies of the Pripyat River

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2003.0428 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 48 (7) ◽

pp. 89-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D.I. Gudkov ◽

L.N. Zub ◽

A.L. Savitsky

Keyword(s):

Power Plant ◽

Nuclear Power Plant ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Hydrological Regime ◽

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant ◽

Growth Patterns ◽

Left Bank ◽

Vegetative Cover ◽

Exclusion Zone ◽

Radionuclide Contamination

As result of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident the territory of the left-bank flood-lands of the Pripyat River have undergone intensive radionuclide contamination. With the purpose of preventing the washing away of radioactive substances, a complex of flood protection dams was constructed. This construction changed the hydrological regime of these territories and caused overgrowth by higher aquatic plants. Absence of a flowing mode of reservoirs, the stagnant phenomena during spring and seasonal high waters on the embank site have caused amplification of eutrophication processes, swamping and, connected with it, increase of water-marsh floristic complex in the structure of the vegetative cover.

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Conceptual and Practical Aspects of the Rehabilitation of Chernobyl NPP Exclusion Zone

9th ASME International Conference on Radioactive Waste Management and Environmental Remediation: Volumes 1, 2, and 3 ◽

10.1115/icem2003-4754 ◽

2003 ◽

Author(s):

Yuri A. Ivanov ◽

Ivan P. Los ◽

Andrey N. Arkhipov ◽

Nickolay I. Proskura

Keyword(s):

Normal Condition ◽

State Of The Art ◽

Practical Implementation ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Exclusion Zone ◽

Gis Technologies ◽

Recovery Processes ◽

Economic Operation ◽

Chernobyl Npp ◽

Rehabilitation Activity

The problems considered for the substantiation and implementation of a complex rehabilitation territory of the exclusion zone and the zone of absolute resettlement (EZZAR) are directed towards the recovery of its normal economic operation. This process of implementation uses a system of countermeasures. The issues of discussion are normative-legal base, principles, criterion, methods and scenarios of rehabilitation, concept of a full and partial rehabilitation, direction of rehab activity (both without change of the territory status and directed towards the rerun of territories under jurisdiction of local government bodies) and re-evacuation of the population and maintenance of normal conditions of its residents and habitability. State of the art natural and technogenic objects on the territory of EZZAR are discussed concerning preliminary estimations for a capability of practical implementation of different directions of rehabilitation activity on the EZZAR territory. GIS technologies are used to take into account the dynamics of a radioecological situation in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. The chief types of practical activities considered are activities on environmental protection and maintenance in a normal condition of phyto- and zoo-sanitary situation (including forestry activity, activation of landscape-recovery processes, etc.).

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Dynamics of specific activity of 90Sr and 137Cs in representatives of ichthyofauna of Chornobyl Exclusion Zone

Nuclear Physics and Atomic Energy ◽

10.15407/jnpae2021.01.062 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 62-73

Author(s):

A.Ye. Kaglyan ◽

◽

D.I. Gudkov ◽

S.I. Кіreev ◽

V.G. Кlenus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Specific Activity ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Cooling Pond ◽

Exclusion Zone ◽

Fish Products ◽

Radionuclide Contamination ◽

Permissible Levels

The results of the assessment of levels of radionuclide contamination of fish during 2013 - 2019 in the reservoirs of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (lakes Azbuchyn, Vershyna, Hlyboke, Daleke, Yanivsky Backwater, Chornobyl NPP cooling pond) are presented. It was found that the concentration of 137Cs in representatives of ichthyofauna of water bodies during the study period continued to decrease, while the concentration of 90Sr, with some exceptions, remained unchanged or increased. The concentration of radionuclides in fish of the studied reservoirs was about 60 - 5000 times for 90Sr and in 3 - 200 times for 137Cs higher than the permissible levels for fish products accepted in Ukraine.

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