Potential Impact of Atmospheric Releases at Russian Far East Nuclear Submarine Complexes

Parker, F., Mahura, A., Compton, K., Brown, K., Takano, M., Novikov, V., Baklanov, A., & Sørensen, J.H. (2003). Potential Impact of Atmospheric Releases at Russian Far East Nuclear Submarine Complexes. In: Waste Management 2003 Symposium, 23-27 Febraury 2003, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

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Abstract

An ''Assessment of the Impact of Russian Nuclear Fleet Operations on Far Eastern Coastal Regions'' is being performed as part of the Radiation Safety of the Biosphere Project (RAD) of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) of Laxenburg, Austria. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive unclassified analysis of the potential impact of accidents at the Russian Far East nuclear submarine sites near Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk. We have defined the situation there based upon available information and studies commissioned by RAD in collaboration with Russian research institutes including Russian Research Center-''Kurchatov Institute'', Institute of Northern Environmental Problems and Lazurit Central Design Bureau. Further, in our original work, some in collaboration with the staff of the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and members of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, we have calculated the nuclide trajectories from these sites in the atmospheric boundary layer, less than 1.5 kilometers high, and determined their probability of crossing any of the nearby countries as well as Asiatic Russia. We have further determined the concentrations in each of these crossings as well as the total, dry and wet depositions of nuclides on these areas. Finally, we have calculated the doses to the Japanese Island population from typical winter airflow patterns (those most likely to cross the Islands in the minimum times), strong north winds, weak north winds and cyclonic winds for conditions similar to the Chazhma Bay criticality accident (fresh fuel) and for a criticality accident for the same type of reactor with fuel being withdrawn (spent fuel). The maximum individual committed dosages were less than 2 x 10-7 and 2 x 10-3 mSv, respectively. The long-term external doses by radionuclides deposited on the ground and the internal doses by consumption of foods were not evaluated as it is believed that such doses can be avoided by social controls. In other calculations taking these longer term doses into account and determining the sum of the maximum individual committed dosages (SMICD), we found for each of the surrounding countries to be less than 1 mSv. In that part of Russia the (SMICD) is less than 6 mSv. For releases from the Petropavlovsk sites the (SMICD) for each of the surrounding countries is less than 0.3 mSv. In that part of Russia the (SMICD) is less than 6 mSv.

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