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At least 1,099 records · Page 61Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

[The effect of radiation factors on cerebrovascular diseases in the region of northern Bukovina].

Correlation was studied between indices for prevalence and incidence of cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) and level of radioactive contamination in the region of northern Bukovina. As far as CVD formation, prevalence, and incidence rate is concerned, long-term exposure to small doses of ionizing radiation (cesium and strontium) makes for augmentation or lowering of CVD levels depending on their form, age, and place of residence of those having become victims of the Chernobyl accident.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[The microbiological diagnosis of tuberculosis in areas under strict radiation control].

Mycobacterial variability was studied in active tuberculosis patients from radioactive contamination area subject to close radiation control. For such areas it was noted that the patients discharge altered coccoid mycobacteria stained with routine luminescent dyes. Biological investigations of freshly isolated strains revealed potentiation of M. tuberculosis virulence in patients with respiratory tuberculosis. A large number of patients from the contaminated areas against control demonstrated primary resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid.

Air Pollution, Radioactive↗
PubMed1991

[Study on consequences of radioactive iodine pollution and iodine prophylaxis after the Czernobyl accident in the Krakow region].

Program of investigations of effects of radiation and iodine prophylaxis undertaken after Czarnobyl accident in Kraków region had to be modified due to goiter endemy in this region. These modifications included: 1) Division of the region into 3 areas (voivodship Nowy Sacz, urban voivodship Kraków and area of Kielce and Swietokrzyskie mountains). 2) Study on iodine uptake in food and urinary secretion. 3) Examination of iodine level in drinking water, add an attempt of calculation of radiation dose absorbed by thyroid. Characterization of selected areas, principles of selection of study groups are presented as well as organizational details and methods of data collection.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chernobyl: a survivable ecological disaster?

A study of events occurring after the Chernobyl accident until 1996 was funded by the European Commission (EC). The study included work by hundreds of scientists from the EC and the former Soviet Union. An overview of these studies is given that puts the science into historical context and shows the effects of the radioactive doses on the population and on the environment. The exposed populations are considered in terms of the separate exposure subgroups (emergency workers; inhabitants of settlements near the reactor; inhabitants of settlements receiving high doses of condensation radionuclides; children in the deposition areas; the general population). The scientific understanding of the natural and anthropogenic countermeasures that reduced doses is presented, and the effects on the human population are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Sources of ionizing radiation in dwellings].

According to recent surveys made by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), it has been estimated that in temperate regions people spend only 20% of their time outdoors and spend the remaining 80% indoors (homes, schools, other buildings). It is therefore important to establish whether radiation sources exist inside buildings in order to assess risk for the population. The 238U and 232Th radioactive chains are of particular importance because of Radon and Radon daughter production and 40K as component of building materials. It has been estimated that about 4.5% of lung cancers observed in the population are associated with exposure to Radon daughters. In order to comply with international regulations it is estimated that 1.5% of the existing dwellings in temperate regions need to be improved.

Air Pollution, Radioactive↗
PubMed2002

Preliminary measurements of surface removable NORM activity in the WIPP underground.

The results of correlating surface removable activity to that measured on a fixed air sampler is reported. It was found from over 40 smears taken during a two week period that surface removable activity from Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) can be predicted to be within a factor of 2 or 3 using either a fixed air sampler measurement or even another smear measurement from a specified surface. The method is being used to take credit for background surface removable activity in similar fashion to a background count for any other radiation detector. The utility of this technique is also discussed from an operational health physics perspective for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

Air Pollution, Radioactive↗
PubMed1982

Doses received while crossing a plume of radioactive material released during an accident at a nuclear power plant.

A set of calculations was performed to determine doses resulting from a release of radioactive material during a hypothetical serious accident at a nuclear power plant. Three different accident scenarios were considered, and calculations were performed for each of three meteorological conditions accompanying each accident scenario. The calculated doses were the doses received by a reference man traversing the entire width of the plume of radioactive material at distances ranging from one to 40km downwind of the release site. Dose pathways considered included the internal dose due to inhalation of material in the plume, the external dose due to exposure to the plume, and the external dose due to ground contamination deposited by the passing plume. The calculated doses are presented along with a discussion of their implications for emergency response planning.

Air Pollution, Radioactive↗
PubMed1982

Extreme scenarios for nuclear waste repositories.

Two extreme scenarios for release of radioactive waste have been constructed. In the first, a volcanic eruption releases 1 km2 of an underground nuclear waste repository, while in the second, waste enters the drinking water reservoir of a major city. With pessimistic assumptions, upper bounds on the number of cancers due to radiation are calculated. In the volcano scenario, the effects of the water are smaller than the effects of natural radioactivity in the volcanic dust if the delay between emplacement and eruption exceeds 2000 yr. The consequences of the waste in drinking water depend on the survival time of the canisters and the rate of leaching of the nuclides from the waste matrix. For a canister life of 400 yr and a leach time of 6300 yr the cancer rate in the affected area would increase by 25%.

Air Pollution, Radioactive↗
PubMed2006

Experiences with area specific spectrum stripping of NaI(Tl) gamma spectra.

Processing of airborne and carborne gamma-ray spectra (AGS and CGS) often includes the stripping (elimination) of the signals from natural radioactivity. Hereby the net result becomes the signals from man-made radioactivity or other radiation anomalies. The parameters needed for spectrum stripping are dependent on detector size and quality as well as on the energy windows. In addition they depend on the environmental geometry including the vehicle carrying the detector. For AGS the altitude also influences the parameters. In general the stripping parameters are determined from tedious laboratory or field measurements with known sources of natural radioactivity. Stripping parameters may, however, often be calculated from the actual survey data or from data from a similar area. Both post-processing and real-time processing are possible. The technique is useful for gamma source search, for detection of radiation anomalies and for mapping of contamination levels. The use of the technique is illustrated with field exercise data.

Air Pollution, Radioactive↗
PubMed2005

Retrospective luminescence dosimetry: development of approaches to application in populated areas downwind of the Chernobyl NPP.

The cumulative absorbed dose in fired-clay bricks collected from ten buildings in the populated contaminated settlement (137Cs, 1,470 kBq m(-2)) of Stary Vishkov, located 175 km downwind of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the Bryansk administrative region of Russia, was determined using luminescence techniques by five laboratories. At each location, the cumulative dose, after subtraction of the natural background dose, was translated to absorbed dose in air using conversion factors derived from Monte Carlo simulations. The simulations employed source distributions inferred from contemporary soil contamination data and also took into account heterogeneity of fallout deposition. At four locations the cumulative dose at a reference location was calculated, enabling the luminescence determinations to be compared directly with values of cumulative absorbed dose in air obtained using deterministic models. A "local" conversion factor was also derived from the Monte Carlo simulations for locations where the disturbance of soil was significant. Values of the "local" cumulative dose in air calculated using this factor were compared with those predicted using the deterministic models at each sampled location, allowing location factors to be calculated. The methodology developed is generally applicable to populated areas contaminated by radioactive fallout in which brick buildings are found. The sensitivity of the luminescence techniques for bricks from this region of Russia was sufficient to evaluate cumulative absorbed dose in brick due to fallout of less than 20 mGy.

Air Pollutants, Radioactive↗
PubMed1986

[Diagnosis of radionuclide uptake using a whole body counter].

Measurements of whole body radioactivity are performed at our department using a shadow shield whole body counter with automated gammaspectrum analysis. After the radioactive fall-out in Austria due to the reactor accident in Chernobyl the instrument has mainly been used for the assessment of the radiation level in the general population. Amongst the radionuclides incorporated 131-I and 137-Cs had the highest activities. The results of our measurements are summarized in two graphs. At present an increase of 137-Cs activity in the population is clearly observed.

Accidents↗
PubMed1995

Thorium excretion in feces by mineral sands workers.

An attempt has been made to correlate the thorium excreted in the feces of two male workers in the monazite section of a mineral sands dry separation plant over a ten-day period with personal air sampling measurements. The air-borne radioactivity was measured on a daily basis using a total (inspirable) dust filter, an integrating personal dosimeter, and a personal cascade impactor. The thorium content of the feces was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results suggest that thorium fecal analyses are able to detect acute and chronic exposures to the inhalation of thorium bearing dusts and to confirm the amount of inhaled thorium predicted from air sampling programs and metabolic models.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2006

Natural radionuclides in the rocks of the Valle del Cervo Pluton in Piedmont.

Monitoring of the gamma radiation in Valle del Cervo Pluton was performed by determining U and Th contents in the main rock types cropping out over the entire area and pertaining to the granitic complex, syenitic complex and monzonitic complex. In particular, syenitic rocks were largely used as building and ornamental materials (e.g. Sienite della Balma). All the samples are fresh and do not present joints or fractures filled with U minerals. In the crushed samples the activity of uranium varies from 346 to 764 Bq/kg. Concentration of thorium varies from 202 to 478 Bq/kg. For all the analysed rocks uranium activity is higher than thorium one. The lowest value of radioactive concentration is referred to rocks of the granitic complex. The most active rocks are syenites. The data confirm the high activities of Valle del Cervo rock types, strongly connected with high K content of the source magma (geochemical signature); on the contrary, the activity seems to be not related to the location of the samples.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed1998

Analysis of coal slag for naturally occurring radioactive material.

Samples of aerosolized coal slag were collected during an abrasive blasting operation to determine the concentration of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in the respirable and nonrespirable fractions. Each slag fraction was analyzed using alpha and gamma spectrometry. Since the slag is insoluble, it was necessary to dissolve samples completely by fusion with potassium fluoride and, after additional transposing and separation, mount the precipitate containing radium (Ra), the main radioactive component in NORM, on a membrane filter for alpha counting. The concentration of 226Ra in coal slag was independent of the particle size fraction and equal to 2.28 picocuries/gram (pCi/g) +/- 0.43 pCi/g, which is approximately twice the typical concentration of NORM in uncontaminated soil. Analysis of NORM by gamma spectrometry identified low concentrations of uranium, thorium, and potassium, all primordial radioactive materials that are commonly encountered in normal background soil. Integral exposure to workers from inhalation of NORM during abrasive blasting with coal slag is extremely low and could be essentially eliminated by use of appropriate respiratory protection. External radiation exposure to workers handling large quantities of NORM-contaminated coal slag during shipping or storage is also low, but would vary depending on the concentration of NORM in the slag.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1992

[Pregnancy and labor in women in the region of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station].

The authors analyze the tentative results of a multiprofile study, including a review of labor histories, examinations of pregnant women and parturients, measurements of fetoplacental hormones, study of the immunity status and microbiocenosis of the mothers and newborns, living in the first (up to 15 Ci/km2) and second (15 to 40 Ci/km2) zones of radioactive contamination. The detected shifts of a compensatory nature were found mostly in women living in the first zone. The disorders found in the women living in the second zone evidenced a decrease of the defense potential of the body, this necessitating nonspecific and correcting therapy during pregnancy, in labor and the postpartum period.

Accidents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The hematological effects of the Chernobyl accident in children].

A total of 878 children from the regions with unfavourable radiation situation were investigated in varying periods after the catastrophe. The data obtained were compared with the results of the study of 317 children from "pure" regions. Morphological, metabolic and ultrastructural changes were detected in blood cells of the children from radioactively contaminated regions after the Chernobyl catastrophe. A tendency to normalization of these parameters was noted in the time course of the post-catastrophe period. No clear relationship was established between the dose and effect. However, significant correlations between the severity of disorders in blood cells and the intensity of free-radical processes in the body were recorded.

Accidents↗
PubMed1989

Reduction of airborne radioactive dust by means of a charged water spray.

An electrostatic precipitator based on charged water spray technology has been used in an underground uranium mine to control long-lived radioactive dust and short-lived aerosol concentration in a mine gallery where dust from a rock breaking/ore transportation operation was discharged. Two main sampling stations were established: one upstream of the dust precipitator and one downstream. In addition, dust samplers were placed at different locations between the dust discharge and the end of the mine gallery. Long-lived radioactive dust was measured using cascade impactors and nylon cyclone dust samplers, and measurement of the radioactivity on the samples was carried out by conventional methods. Radon and thoron progeny were estimated using standard techniques. Experiments were conducted under a variety of airflow conditions. A maximum radioactive dust reduction of about 40% (approximately 20% caused by gravitational settling) at a ventilation rate of 0.61 m3/sec was obtained as a result of the combined action of water scrubbing and electrostatic precipitation by the charged water spray electrostatic precipitator. This represents the optimum efficiency attained within the range of ventilation rates investigated. The dust reduction efficiency of the charged water spray decreased with increasing ventilation rate, i.e., decreasing air residence time, and hence, reduced dust cloud/charged water droplets mixing time.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1989

A graphical method to determine the uptake of nuclides by workers.

A method is presented which simplifies the estimation of the uptake, retention, and elimination of radioactive or stable nuclides following instantaneous ingestion or inhalation. A graph can be presented which shows the time-related presence of the element in organs of interest. It is not necessary to go back to the original differential equations used in the metabolic models or to resort to the publications which present their solutions. A glance at a graph and some simple calculations will allow the health professional to make the required determinations.

Aerosols↗