RESULTS OF WBC-MONITORING OF FIREFIGHTERS PARTICIPATING IN RESPONSE TO CHORNOBYL FOREST FIRES IN APRIL-MAY 2020

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Radiation Protection
• Nuclear Safety

Background:

• The Chornobyl exclusion zone poses risks of radionuclide exposure.
• Firefighting operations in contaminated areas require radiation monitoring.
• Assessing internal radiation doses is crucial for emergency responders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure radionuclide levels in State Emergency Service (SES) rescuers.
• To evaluate internal radiation doses from Cesium-137 (137Cs) exposure.
• To assess radiation safety during Chornobyl firefighting operations.

Main Methods:

• Whole Body Counters (WBC) were used for radionuclide measurements.
• Operational and expert-level WBCs with varying Minimum Detected Activity (MDA) were employed.
• Mathematical and spectrometric methods were utilized for data analysis.

Main Results:

• 95% of SES personnel showed internal 137Cs doses below the minimum detectable dose (5-14 μSv).
• Average effective doses ranged from 2.2 ± 0.6 μSv to 4.4 ± 2.4 μSv.
• Maximum recorded doses were significantly below Ukraine's basic dose limit for the public.

Conclusions:

• Firefighting in the Chornobyl exclusion zone resulted in minimal internal radiation exposure for SES personnel.
• Radonclide levels in rescuers were well within safe limits.
• The study confirms the effectiveness of radiation protection measures during emergency response.