Issues
Radiation situation in the town of Lermontov
«Radiation and Risk», 2025, vol. 34, No. 4, pp.118-128
DOI: 10.21870/0131-3878-2025-34-4-118-128
Authors
Belskikh Iu.S. – Researcher. Contacts: 46 Zhivopisnaya str., Moscow, Russia, 123098. Tel.: 8(985) 054-72-02; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .Titov A.V. – Sen. Researcher
Shandala N.K. – Deputy Director Gen., Member of RSCRP, MD
Isaev D.V.– Sen. Researcher
Semenova M.P. – Sen. Researcher
Doroneva T.A. – Researcher
Shitova A.A. – Jun. Researcher. SRC – FMBC.
State Research Center − Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow
Abstract
The purpose of the work is to assess the current radiation situation in the town of Lermontov, Stavropol Territory, where the uranium legacy sites are located. The following methods were used in the course of radiation survey in the town of Lermontov: pedestrian gamma survey, gamma spectrometric measurements of radionuclides in the environmental media using stationary installations, radiochem-ical separation of radionuclides with subsequent measurement of their activities using radiometric installations. The average value of gamma dose rate in the residential area of the town is 0.14 μSv/h. The increased values were registered in the production areas of the former Almaz LPA facilities and the territory of the I.V. Michurin GNP. The highest values were registered in the tailings dump site outside the remediated areas (up to 1.2 μSv/h). In terms of natural radionuclides within the town limits, only the specific activities of 232Th and 40K in the soil correspond to the average values for the Stavropol Territory. The specific activity of 226Ra in all functional areas of the town, excluding the remediated tailings dumps, is higher than average values for the Stavropol Territory. The specific activity of 137Cs in soil does not differ from the specific activity in other towns of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. In some areas of tailings dump outside the remediated areas, the soil is classified as solid radioactive waste. Annual effective dose of external exposure to residents of the town is 2.1+-0,45 mSv, and that induced by the ingestion of local foodstuffs (milk and potatoes) is 86+-67 μSv (the range of its variance is 22-180 μSv). Except for territories of former uranium manufacture facilities, the ra-diation situation in the territory of the town of Lermontov does not differ from that in territories of other resort towns of the Caucasian Mineral Waters (excluding radon in dwellings). On the territory of tail-ings dump, the remediation work is necessary not only in the map areas, but also in other areas within the limits of physical protection.
Key words
external and internal dose, dose rate, Caucasian Mineral Waters, natural radionuclides, radiation situation, radon, uranium mines, specific activity, tailings dump, caesium-137, equilibrium equivalent activity concentration, public health, environmental health.
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