A Toxicity Assessment of Soils Sampled from the Balapan Site of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

摘要

Toxicity of soils sampled from the area of the "Chagan" explosion (the Balapan site of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, Kazakhstan) were assayed with the use of biological tests and physicochemical analysis. Soils from the most part (2.56 km~2 out of 4 km~2) of the area studied were found to be toxic. Soil aqueous extracts toxicity substantially resulted from ~(137)Cs and ~(90)Sr effects. The soil toxicity assessment with the use of biological test--an increase Chlorella vulgaris Beijer. biomass production after 24 exposure of soil aqueous extracts in 63% cases are in agree with conclusions on the degree of radioactive contamination based on Basic Sanitary Rules of Radiation Safety (BSRRS-99). The IAEA safety norms were found to be quite stricter than the results of the biological test.