Objective
The Kola-Barents region of Russian Arctic exceeds all other regions and countries in the world regarding concentration and number of nuclear reactors. There are about 180 operating nuclear reactors, 135 reactors to be decommissioned, and over 10 storage areas for nuclear wastes and spent fuel. The analysis of published and ongoing investigations, made within the bounds of the IIASA pilot KAS-project shows, that, although the main risk of radioactive contamination in the region is attributed to terrestrial nuclear objects, a majority of the existing projects of radioactive research in the Northern region are directed to estimation of radiation contamination in seas and radiation risk from the sunken nuclear reactors or radioactive waste. Issues concerned with risk of airborne radioactive contamination of northern Europe from nuclear units of the Kola - Barents region are still poorly investigated. So, the main focus of the investigation proposed is directed to estimation of possible consequences from the most important and poorly investigated terrestrial objects of radiation risk in European Arctic.
The objective of the study is to assess the potential risk of environmental radioactive contamination (ranging from local - to northern European scales) from nuclear units in north-west Russia and impacts on population and the northern terrestrial environment. The main focus of the study will be directed towards airborne radioactive contamination, but some case studies will be realised for accidental leakages from terrestrial nuclear units to soil and coastal waters.
The major results of the project will be: Analysis of source terms for accidental scenarios at various nuclear units in the region, GIS database of the nuclear risk objects. Developed and verified models for simulation of atmospheric transport and deposition of radionuclides for the local-, meso- and regional scales for northern areas.
Case studies of airborne radioactive releases and related doses for basic terrestrial nuclear objects, investigation of relative importance of input parameters for different scales. Assessment of risk of airborne radioactive contamination from nuclear units in north-west Russia by the use of difference models for meso- and regional scale. Case studies of radioactive leakages from nuclear objects and possible radionuclide migration in soil and coastal waters. Identification of issues needing further elucidation in a socio-economic perspective based on the results from the study with focus on radiological consequences of the radiation legacy.
Topic(s)
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901 82 Umea
Sweden