NATO SfP RESCA Project Peter Stegnar Jožef Stefan Institute and Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana, Slovenia Brit Salbu, UMB, Aas, Norway Osnovna vsebina mojega individualnega raziskovalnega dela je ocena doz ionizirajočih sevanj v srednje azijski državi Kirgiziji. Ta država je bila vključena v projekt NATO Znanost za mir, o okviru katerega smo ocenjevali vpliv na okolje in zdravje ljudi zaradi rudarjenja in predelave uranove rude, ko je bila Kirgizija še del Sovjetske zveze.

NATO SfP Legacy Projects in CA RESCA (Radioactivity Environment Security Central Asia): on Legacy of U Extraction and Environmental Security in Central Asia JNKKT (Joint Norway Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan) Project (UMB) supported RESCA SEMIRAD I (Semipalatinsk) SEMIRAD II (Semipalatinsk) UMREG 2012

U Legacy Related Problems Uranium legacy sites in inhabited areas prone to natural disasters Majority of sites not properly managed due to lack of money and inadequate regulatory infrastructure Low living standard of resident populations, health and social problems, migration, etc. Concern of resident population due to lack of information UMREG 2012

RESCA OBJECTIVES Characterisation of source-term and determination of local contamination at selected uranium legacy sites Radiation dose and impact assessment Identification of appropriate mitigation/remediation countermeasures Budget: NATO – 430,000 EUR Slovenia – 150,000 EUR Norway – ? UMREG 2012

RESCA PARTICIPANTS Volkovgeologiya, Kazakhstan Al-Farabi, Kazakhstan CHU EcoLab, Kyrgyzstan INP, Uzbekistan Vostokredmet,Tajikistan J. Stefan Institute,Slovenia UMB, Norway RESCA: from 2006 to 2010 UMREG 2012

U Legacy Sites Investigated Kurday // Kadji Sai // Taboshar Digmai // Minkush // Shekaftar Charkesar – 15 multinational field missions UMREG 2012

Hazards Radioactivity Gamma, alpha + Rn doses Drinking water/food intake Particles/aerosols (JNNKT) Ecosystem transfer (JNNKT) Metals – levels, transport, uptake (JNNKT) Multiple stressor exposures (JNNKT) Geohazards: earthquakes, landslides, flooding – physical risk BODOČE DELO V nadaljnje raziskave bom: vključila oceno doz v zunanjem okolju raziskanih področij, izračunala doze za toron v bivalnem okolju, izdelala oceno doz v drugih državah srednje Azije, ki so sodelovale v projektu NATO (Kazahstan, Uzbekistan in Tadžikistan), opredelila končno oceno tveganja, ki bo osnova za sprejetje ustreznih ukrepov za zmanjšanje obremenitve lokalnega prebivalstva zaradi ionizirajočih sevanj. UMREG 2012

Samples - measurements Gamma dose rate, alpha track, Rn dose rates Analysis of radionuclides in environmental samples Particle analysis: 2D composition, size, structure Water: In situ fractionation, lakes, rivers, groundwater, run-off Fish: gills, organs, trophic levels, BCF Soils/sediments: sequential extractions Vegetation: transfer factors Methods: alpha-, gamma-spectrometry, beta counting, INAA, RNAA, ICP-MS, ICP-OES, FIMS, IRMS, SEM, 2D synchrotron XRD, XRF UMREG 2012

RESULTS Environmental Impact Assessment Radioactivity of the source (tailings): elevated Radioactivity of the environment: gamma dose rates and Radon: high at some sites/places; drinking water, food products – clean UMREG 2012

Intervention needed Digmai, high gamma, Rn emanation, dust UMREG 2012

Digmay – Tajikistan, outdoor Rn Intervention needed CRn = 1500 Bq m−3 CRn = 1000 Bq m−3 CRn = 450 Bq m−3 Digmay – Tajikistan, outdoor Rn UMREG 2012

Min-Kush; Kyrgyzstan Dose rates at Tuyuk-Suu - remediated: 0.2 to 1.0 µGy/h, Rn: up to 10 Bq/m3 Indoor Rn: low (~100 Bq/m3), higher in some public buildings Tuyuk-Suu tailings dump: landslide threat, transfer to D recommended Spent filter materials from former U mill: immediate removal needed U waste rock and coal used for insulation purposes of houses IAEA TM on

Charkesar, Uzbekistan Gamma doses Contaminated mine water drunk by animals and used for irrigation Gamma dose rates of the soil from 3 - 7 µGy/h Ra-226 in contaminated soil: 10 kBq/kg, Ra-226 in water: 2.7 Bq/L More information needed

Hot spots – Radioactive particles - digital autoradiography Soil from Kadji-say, Kyrgyzstan Sediment from Taboshar Pit Lake Soil from Kurday, Kazakhstan High gamma doses In situ measurements

Drinking water Taboshar village: exceeds WHO U limit Downstream Taboshar extraction site Drinking water Taboshar village: exceeds WHO U limit U=1384 µg/L Ra-226= 26 mBq/L As=31 µg/L High transfer Max dose rates = 0.4 µGy/h

Other findings High U and As levels in Taboshar pit lake High 210Po and Hg uptake in fish 226Ra key dose contributor to terrestrial plants UMREG 2012

Dose and Risk Assessment Radiation doses low, radiological risk low with no actual health impact on resident populations Radiological risk versus non-radiological: Chemical contaminants Physical risk – due to free access to legacy sites, geohazard impact Perceived radiological risk versus actual risk: Perceived risk by population high, based on lacking information, low living standard, emotions – radiophobia Actual radiological risk: low UMREG 2012

Upgrading analytical labs – provision of equipment (some cost-shared with IAEA): ɣ,α spectrometers, radiochemistry, Rn equipment, field instruments, sampling kits, etc. Training of personnel - young specialists: on-the-job, basic, advanced (spectrometry, Rn, other techniques) Promoting education (several MSc and PhD degrees completed or in progress) UMREG 2012

Conclusions Radiation doses to man relatively low, insignificant radiological risk and no actual health impact on resident populations Radiation at investigated sites localised to limited areas, could potentially influence/impact downstream areas due to river and airborne transport Metal exposure, especially of As, is high at mining sites, and is transported downstream High ecosystem transfer of selected radionuclides and metals Multiple stressor aspect should be considered UMREG 2012

RESCA CONTRIBUTIONS Upgrading analytical labs – provision of equipment (some cost-shared with IAEA): ɣ,α spectrometers, radiochemistry, Rn equipment, field instruments, sampling kits, etc. Training of personnel - young specialists: on-the-job, basic, advanced (spectrometry, Rn, other techniques) Promoting education (several MSc and PhD degrees completed or in progress) UMREG 2012

RESCA CONCERNS Lack of national financing for self-sustainable activities for follow-up programme/projects, i.e. site specific monitoring Leaving of already trained/experienced personnel for other jobs Utilisation (availability, technical support, repair possibilitis, etc.) of equipment QA/QC issues – reliability of results UMREG 2012

FUTURE RESCA follow – up: radioactivity + metals Comprehensive EIA of investigated sites EIA of other sites: Sumsar (heavy metals pollution), Shekaftar (radioactivity) Ak-Tyuz, Orlovka (radioactive tailings from rare earth elements production, heavy metals) Taboshar Digmai UMREG 2012

Special Issue Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 2012 10 peer review articles 24