Management of Lignite Fly Ash for Improving Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity

Lignite fly ash (LFA), being alkaline and endowed with excellent pozzolanic properties, a silt loam texture, and plant nutrients, has the potential to improve soil quality and productivity. Long-term field trials with groundnut, maize, and sun hemp were carried out to study the effect of LFA on growth and yield. Before crop I was sown, LFA was applied at various doses with and without press mud (an organic waste from the sugar industry, used as an amendment and source of nutrients). LFA with and without press mud was also applied before crops III and V were cultivated. Chemical fertilizer, along with gypsum, humic acid, and biofertilizer, was applied in all treatments, including the control. With one-time and repeat applications of LFA (with and without press mud), yield increased significantly (7.0–89.0%) in relation to the control crop. The press mud enhanced the yield (3.0–15.0%) with different LFA applications. The highest yield LFA dose was 200 t/ha for one-time and repeat applications, the maximum yield being with crop III (combination treatment). One-time and repeat application of LFA (alone and in combination with press mud) improved soil quality and the nutrient content of the produce. The highest dose of LFA (200 t/ha) with and without press mud showed the best residual effects (eco-friendly increases in the yield of succeeding crops). Some increase in trace- and heavy-metal contents and in the level of γ-emitters in soil and crop produce, but well within permissible limits, was observed. Thus, LFA can be used on a large scale to boost soil fertility and productivity with no adverse effects on the soil or crops, which may solve the problem of bulk disposal of fly ash in an eco-friendly manner.     

Cs contamination of the Techa river flood plain near the village of Muslumovo

The results of a radiometric survey of the Techa river flood plain near the village of Muslumovo in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia are presented. The observed territory extended 16.6 km along the riverbed, with a total area of 2.5 km². The collimated scintillation detector technique was applied to in situ field measurements of ¹³⁷Cs deposition on the soil. Maps of ¹³⁷Cs deposition and soil penetration depth were developed on the basis of approximately 5000 measurements. The total ¹³⁷Cs deposition within the surveyed territory has been estimated at 6.6 TBq. The means of the total ¹³⁷Cs soil depositions at half-kilometer sites on the flood plain and its distribution along the river have also been calculated. A maximum ¹³⁷Cs contamination above 7.5 MBq/m² is associated with a bank height up to 1 m above the usual water level. The data identify zones of intensive radionuclide sedimentation and transit zones.     

A study on the elimination of 137Cs in mussels under contaminated fields and laboratory conditions

The natural depuration or bioelimination of ^l37Cs was investigated in Mytilus galloprovincialis under contaminated field and laboratory conditions. The depuration result represented by a single component and biological half‐life was found to be 63 days under Chernobyl condition during 1986–1987. On the other hand, the biological half‐life of ¹³⁷Cs were found in the range 19.7–27.1 days in the laboratory experiment. The bioelimination process was also found biphasic and dependent of temperature at 5°C and 13°C under laboratory conditions. The results obtained in the contaminated field and the laboratory are not comparable in the mussels.     

辐射环境保护类微机程序包概述

“辐射环境保护类微机程序包”集成了３５个辐射环境影响评价程序,实现了所有这些程序向微机的移植,完成了使用频率较高的程序之间的连接,增添了原有程序的报表输出和图形化处理功能,并且,结合我国辐射环境影响评价的规范,评价了这些程序在辐射环境影响评价中的适用性。辐射环境类微机程序包由正常气载、正常液载、放射性货包运输、核事故应急、废物处置、事故放射性后果、剂量转换因子七大功能块组成,基本覆盖了辐射环境影响的所有方面     

Environmental Protection in the Tomsk Region of the Russian Federation: A Case Study

/ Implementation of environmental management in Russia is undergoing rapid changes. Federal responsibility rests with the Russian Federation State Committee for Environmental Protection (RFSCEP) and is delegated at regional level to local State Committees for Environmental Protection (SCEPs). This paper focuses on the functioning of the SCEP for Tomsk oblast' (region) in Siberia, which is strongly committed to forging constructive links with regional government, academia, industry, and environmental NGOs. Considerable difficulties exist for SCEPs in Russia, however, and prominent among these are (1) a rigidly vertical civil service structure, with separate organs having responsibility for different natural resources, persisting from Soviet times, which hinders effective intergrated and holistic environmental management; and (2) a lack of open access to environmental information from military and quasi-military sites.     

样品中总α/β放射性的测量

以某一比对样品中总α/β放射性的测量过程为例,叙述了样品预处理、上机测量及参数确定的方法,并结合实践,对工作中需要注意的问题进行了探讨。     

塔克什肯口岸土壤放射核素含量调查研究

利用高分辨半导体能谱分析方法分析了新疆塔克什肯口岸土壤天然放射性核素铀238、镭226、钍232、钾40和人工放射性核素铯137的含量,共选取8个采样点16个土壤样品及4个煤炭及废旧金属样点。结果表明:进口货物道路各采样点其铀238、钾40及铯137均比非进口货物道路各点高,镭226、钍232含量则相反,而煤炭和废金属的各样品的铀238、镭226、钍232、钾40都高于进出口道路和非进口道路,Cs137则相反,表明进口煤炭和非金属对天然放射性核素产生了较大影响,而对人工放射性核素影响较小。和新疆及全国背景值比,进口道路和非进口道路土壤中各放射性核素含量均未超过天然本底值范围,进口煤炭和废金属虽然各放射性核素含量则略高于背景值,表明试验点没有受到放射性污染,对当地居民和进出境人员不会产生辐射伤害。     

Modelling radionuclide distribution and transport in the environment

Mathematical models of radionuclide distribution and transport in the environment have been developed to assess the impact on people of routine and accidental releases of radioactivity from a variety of nuclear activities, including: weapons development, production, and testing; power production; and waste disposal. The models are used to estimate human exposures and doses in situations where measurements have not been made or would be impossible or impractical to make. Model results are used to assess whether nuclear facilities are operated in compliance with regulatory requirements, to determine the need for remediation of contaminated sites, to estimate the effects on human health of past releases, and to predict the potential effects of accidental releases or new facilities. This paper describes the various applications and types of models currently used to represent the distribution and transport of radionuclides in the terrestrial and aquatic environments, as well as integrated global models for selected radionuclides and special issues in the fields of solid radioactive waste disposal and dose reconstruction. Particular emphasis is placed on the issue of improving confidence in the model results, including the importance of uncertainty analysis and of model verification and validation.     

Radioactivity and heavy metal concentrations of some commercial fish species consumed in the Black Sea Region of Turkey

Marine fish is an important daily diet item for the people of Turkey. The Black Sea Region of Turkey was contaminated by the Chernobyl accident in 1986, a comprehensive study was planned and carried out to determine the radioactivity levels (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs) and heavy metal concentrations (As, Mn, Fe, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu and Pb) in four of the most common fish species: Engraulis encrasicholus (anchovy), Oncorhynchus mykiss (trout), Trachurus mediterranus (bluefin) and Merlangius merlangus (whiting) samples collected from eight stations in the Black Sea Region of Turkey during 2010. The dose due to consumption of fish by the public was estimated and it was shown that this dose imposes no threat to human healthy. The concentrations of heavy metal are below the daily intake recommended by the international organizations.