Monitoring of internal exposure during the NSC construction

The international Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP) foresees a step-by-step transformation of the Chornobyl site into a safe condition. The central element of SIP is the New Safe Confinement (NSC). NSC is an unprecedented 108-meter tall structure over the destroyed Unit 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, length of the NSC is 162 m, and its width is 257 m.
Many workers involved in SIP may have direct contact with fragments of the irradiated fuel, fuel-containing aerosols, and other contaminated material at the Chornobyl industrial site. Isotopes of plutonium, americium, strontium, and cesium are dominating in internal exposure of SIP workers.
 
From 2004 to 2019 the RPI has been performed a large-scale Internal Dosimetry Program as an integral part of SIP. Plutonium contents in fecal and urine samples and the whole-body counters (WBC) data were the main source of the quantitative data used for the internal dose assessment. The RPI radiochemical laboratories in Kyiv and at the Chornobyl site employed the standard radiochemical technique and used ninety-six alpha-spectrometers. The range of WBCs included the scanning low-background WBC, four Canberra FastScan WBCs, and four chair-type WBCs.
 
The Internal Dosimetry Program has covered more than 18 ths workers, which undergone almost 1.4 million measurements of 137Cs on WBCs, more than 102 ths measurements of 239+240Pu contents in fecal samples and 6 ths measurements of 239+240Pu contents in urine samples. Such a large-scale program ensured reliable monitoring of intakes of the insoluble radioactive material.
For a significant contribution to the transformation of the Shelter Object into an environmentally safe system, in 2019 the RPI was awarded by the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management.

Publications:

  1. Long-term programme of biophysical monitoring of the personnel involved in the construction of the NSC. V.Berkovskyy, G.Ratia, S.Nechaev, M.Tsygankov, V.Vasylenko, V.Sakhno, T.Volkerniuk, S.Gorbachov. Проблеми безпеки атомних електростанцій і Чорнобиля. – 2017. – Вип.29. – с.50–55
  2. Thirty years of the Chernobyl disaster : radiological and medical consequences : National Report of Ukraine. – Kyiv, 2016. – 177 p.
  3. Current state of radiation safety and dosimetric control of internal irradiation in personnel engaged in works of the “Shelter” object transformation. S.Yu.Nechayev, I.A.Likhtariov, V.O.Sushko, V.B.Berkovsky, L.M.Kovgan, Yu.V.Bonchuk, G.G.Ratia, V.V.Vasylenko, M.Ya.Tsygankov, S.V.Masiuk, S.G.Gorbachov, Т.О.Volkernuk, V.B.Gerasymenko, V.O.Pikta. International conference “Health effects of the Chornobyl accident – 30 years aftermath” : Program and Abstracts, April 18–19 2016, Kyiv, Ukraine. – Kyiv, 2016. – p.109
  4. Radiation protection and health of personnel of contractors enteprises, which participated in works for transformation of Object “Shelter” of SSE Chornobyl NPP into ecologically safe system. V.O.Sushko, I.А.Likhtariov, L.O.Lyashenko, V.B.Berkovsky, K.M.Loganovskyi, S.Yu.Nechayev, L.І.Shvayko, O.О.Kolosynska, E.O.Sarkіsova, Yu.V.Bonchuck, G.A.Nezgovorova, O.M.Tatarenko. International conference “Health effects of the Chornobyl accident – 30 years aftermath” : Program and Abstracts, April 18–19 2016, Kyiv, Ukraine. – Kyiv, 2016. – p.147
  5. Individual monitoring of internal exposure at the Shelter Object. I.Bonchuk, I.Likhtarev, V.Berkovski. Radiation Protection Dosimetry. Vol.144, Issue 1-4, March 2011, p.367-370
  6. Condition of the radiation and health protection of the personnel of the contractor organization involved into the works on transformation of the ChNPP Object “Shelter into ecologically safe system (on the results of the created clinical-dosimetric register. V.G.Bebeshko, V.O.Sushko, I.A.Likhtarev, D.A.Bazyka, К.М.Loganovsky, L.O.Liashenko, S.Yu.Nechaev, Yu.V.Bonchuk, P.B.Aryasov, L.I.Shvayko, E.O.Sarkisova. Problems of radiation medicine and radiobiology. – 2010. – Vol.15. – p.127-144
  7. Ensuring of radiation protection during works on transformation of the Object Shelter into ecologically safe system. Biophysical monitoring of the personnel internal exposure doses. S.Y.Nechaev, I.A.Likhtarev, V.B.Berkovski, L.N.Kovgan, Y.V.Bonchuk, G.G.Ratia, P.B.Aryasov. Radiation Hygiene. 2009;2(1):32-35
  8. Bioassay measurements interpretation methods of the object “Shelter” personnel. G.G.Ratia, Iu.V.Bonchuk. Problems of radiation medicine and radiobiology. – 2009.– Vol.14. – p.29-34
  9. Design and Operation of the Internal Dosimetry Program for the Chornobyl ‘Shelter Implementation Plan’. I.Likhtarev, V.Berkovski, L.Kovgan, N.Tcygankov, G.Ratia, Y.Bonchuk, S.Nechaev, O.Perevoznikov, P.Ariasov, V.Vasilenko, N.Rubel, I.Kairo, S.Gorbachev, T.Volkernuk, V.Sushko. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Vol.127, Issue 1-4, November 2007, p.321-324
  10. Проблемы организации дозиметрического контроля внутреннего облучения персонала на объекте “Укрытие”. Ю.В.Бончук, Г.Г.Ратиа. Тези доповідей міжнародної науково-практичної конф. «Епідеміологія медичних наслідків аварії на Чорнобильській АЕС. 20 років по тому» // Видавництво «Вебер». – Донецьк. – 2007. – с.19-20
  11. Неопределенности при оценках доз внутреннего облучения персонала объекта “Укрытие”. Г.Г.Ратиа, Ю.В.Бончук. Тези доповідей міжнародної науково-практичної конф. «Епідеміологія медичних наслідків аварії на Чорнобильській АЕС. 20 років по тому» // Видавництво «Вебер». – Донецьк. – 2007. – с.20-21
  12. Методы интерпретации биофизических измерений персонала объекта “Укрытие”. Г.Г.Ратиа, Ю.В.Бончук. Тези доповідей міжнародної науково-практичної конф. «Епідеміологія медичних наслідків аварії на Чорнобильській АЕС. 20 років по тому» // Видавництво «Вебер». – Донецьк. – 2007. – с.21-22
  13. Main open safety issues for the conceptual design of the new safe ‘confinement for the ChNPP “Shelter” object and paths of their solution. D. Bachner, V.Berkovskiy, V.Bonchuk, V.Vasilchenko, E.Kadkin, V.Кirichenko, O.Kolesnikov, S.Kondratiev, I.Likhtarev, A. Oraevskiy, D.Ryzhov, V.Sklyarenko, A.Tregub, O.Shugaylo. Nuclear and radiation safety. – 2006. – №1. – p.14-27
  14. Program of medical and biophysical control of personnel, which take part in works for transformation of Object Shelter of ChNPP into safe system. V.Bebeshko, V.Sushko, I.Likhtarev, D.Bazyka, К.Loganovsky, L.Liashenko S.Nechaev, E.Sarkisova, Yu.Bonchuk, L.Shvayko. The International Conference «Twenty Years after Chornobyl Accident. Future Outlook». Kyiv, Ukraine, April 24-26, 2006, Contributed Papers. – Kyiv: Innovation Publishing Centre “HOLTECH”, 2006. – T1 – 2. – p.19–24

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