The forecast of the radiation dose of the rural population in case of regular radioactive emissions from nuclear power plants with VVER-1200 reactors based on the recommendations of the IAEA

Objective. To carry out predictive assessment of the content of radionuclides in environmental components and the effective radiation dose of the rural population living in the zone of distribution of regular emissions of nuclear power plants with VVER-1200 reactors.

Materials and methods. The initial data were the activity of the permissible annual emission of a typical nuclear power plant with 4 VVER-1200 reactors. An assessment of the content of radionuclides in the surface layer of air, the root layer of soil, basic foodstuffs and the radiation dose of the rural population at various distances from the NPP was carried out based on the IAEA’s methodological recommendations.

Results. The average long–term volumetric activity of radionuclides in the surface air layer is predicted at a distance of 1-2 km from the NPP and can reach 0.7 Bq/m3 for ¹³³Xe, 0.2 for ³H and ⁸⁸Kr, units-tenths of μBq/m³ for radioisotopes of caesium and iodine. Over 30 years of NPP operation, the density of contamination of the root-inhabited soil layer at a distance of 1-2 km from the NPP is predicted to be ~5 Bq/m² according to ¹³⁷Cs. In food, the content of ³H and ¹⁴C can reach units of Bq/kg, and radioisotopes of caesium – tens of mBq/kg. The average long–term effective radiation dose of the rural population at a distance of ~1 km from the NPP is estimated at ~1.4 μSv/year, 3 km – 0.7, 10 km – 0.15 and at the border of the 30-kilometer zone – 0.5. At the same time, the contribution of internal radiation to the effective dose reaches 70% of the oral intake of radionuclides, the main dose-forming radionuclides are ³H and ¹⁴C.

Conclusion. With regular emissions of nuclear power plants, the effective radiation dose of the rural population will be ~1.4 μSv/year at a distance of ~1 km from the NPP, which is significantly lower than the permissible for the population according to NRB-99/2009 (1 mSv/year), the quota for irradiation of the population from aerosol emissions of an operating NPP (200 μSv/year) and the minimum a significant dose (10 μSv / year).

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