Simulation study of radionuclide atmospheric transport after wildland fires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in April 2020

Таlerko, Mykola; Kovalets, Ivan V.; Lev, Tatiana; Igarashi, Yasunori; Romanenko, Olexandr

doi:10.1016/j.apr.2021.01.010

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Cs-137 emissions in the present work are estimated using a Bayesian framework. Thus, this work complements other studies, such as [13] or [14] where Cs-137 emissions were estimated based on the use of diverse satellite observation products. Specifically, an improved determination of the burned area and estimation of the biomass combustion rate as a function of the retrieved fire radiative power (FRP) are key ingredients of such a satellite-based estimation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…Several papers studied the impact of wildfires in the CEZ [6,7,[12][13][14]. In spring and summer 2015 there were two major wildfires occurring in the CEZ, where effective doses above 1 mSv/year in the CEZ were found and lower values in the rest of Europe [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following the event, the State Agency of Ukraine for the Management of the Exclusion Zone set up a reinforced control of the radiological situation in the area of the exclusion and mandatory resettlement zone. According to [14], this fire was the largest one in the history of the CEZ and it therefore raised concerns with respect to its potential consequences. Although the wildfires were mostly declared extinguished by the 15 April, they became reactivated under the effect of strong winds which stirred up the embers of the recent fires [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, on the 17 April 2020, NASA s Terra satellite [17] captured new fires breaking out again in the CEZ and also starting outside the area. The fires lasted until the 20 April, spreading up to 80,000 hectares in the CEZ due to wind influence [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Environmental Effects of the April 2020 Wildfires and the Cs-137 Re-Suspension in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: A Multi-Hazard Threat

et al. 2021

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This paper demonstrates the environmental impacts of the wildfires occurring at the beginning of April 2020 in and around the highly contaminated Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). Due to the critical fire location, concerns arose about secondary radioactive contamination potentially spreading over Europe. The impact of the fire was assessed through the evaluation of fire plume dispersion and re-suspension of the radionuclide Cs-137, whereas, to assess the smoke plume effect, a WRF-Chem simulation was performed and compared to Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) satellite columns. The results show agreement of the simulated black carbon and carbon monoxide plumes with the plumes as observed by TROPOMI, where pollutants were also transported to Belarus. From an air quality and health perspective, the wildfires caused extremely bad air quality over Kiev, where the WRF-Chem model simulated mean values of PM2.5 up to 300 µg/m3 (during the first fire outbreak) over CEZ. The re-suspension of Cs-137 was assessed by a Bayesian inverse modelling approach using FLEXPART as the atmospheric transport model and Ukraine observations, yielding a total release of 600 ± 200 GBq. The increase in both smoke and Cs-137 emissions was only well correlated on the 9 April, likely related to a shift of the focus area of the fires. From a radiological point of view even the highest Cs-137 values (average measured or modelled air concentrations and modelled deposition) at the measurement site closest to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, i.e., Kiev, posed no health risk.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Environmental Effects of the April 2020 Wildfires and the Cs-137 Re-Suspension in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: A Multi-Hazard Threat

et al. 2021

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“…Однак 16-18 квітня 2020 р. у в північно-західній, північній і центральній частинах України трапилась потужна пилова буря (рис. 1), яка до того ж супроводжувалась пожежами у Чорнобильській зоні відчуження (ЧЗВ) та на Поліссі [3]. Рівні забруднення, які спостерігались у цей період у м. Київ та на українських АЕС, в основному пов'язували з тривалими пожежами.…”

Section: вступunclassified

Simulation of secondary radioactive air pollution in Ukraine due to the wind lift of radionuclides.

Kovalets¹,

Khalchenkov²,

Maystrenko³

et al. 2021

MMS

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The paper presents the results of the simulation of secondary air pollution scenario in Ukraine due to the wind lift of anthropogenic radionuclides during a dust storm in April 2020. A variant of the Bagnold formula was used to parameterize the intensity of radionuclide resuspension. To set the initial pollution of the territory of Ukraine, the reconstruction of meteorological conditions and fallout of Cs-137 after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was carried out through the use of the RODOS nuclear emergency response system and the WRF meteorological model. For the normalized root-mean-square error of the calculated total fallout in the 50-km zone around the Chernobyl NPP the value NMSE=4,5 was obtained. A decrease in the levels of pollution of the Earth's surface during the time after the accident due to radioactive decay and other environmental processes was estimated. The distribution of contamination of the Earth's surface obtained in this way was used to assess the intensity of wind rise and atmospheric transport of radionuclides during a dust storm on April 16–18, 2020. The calculations were carried out using the CALPUFF model. The input meteorological data were the results of the WRF-Ukraine weather forecasting system. In the calculation of secondary contamination, the effect of fires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (ChEZ) was not taken into account. The calculated average daily concentrations of Cs-137 in the air were maximum for the first day of the dust storm (April 16), when the wind speed was maximum (13 m/s with gusts up to 19 m/s). Average daily concentrations on April 16 ranged from the background values (5,8·10-6 Bq/m3 in Kyiv) to 2,2·10-3 Bq/m3 (ChNPP). The obtained estimates are much less than the permissible concentrations (0.8 Bq/m3). At the same time consideravle exceedance of background values were predicted in a large part of Ukraine – from Rivne NPP (2,2·10-5 Bq/m3) to Kharkiv (1,3·10-5 Bq / m3). In the vicinity of the ChEZ in the cities of Chernihiv and Slavutich, the obtained estimates of daily average concentration were 1,6·10-4 Bq/m3 and 3,2·10-4 Bq/m3 respectively.

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Wildfires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone—Risks and consequences

Beresford

Barnett

Gashchak

et al. 2021

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

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Simulation study of radionuclide atmospheric transport after wildland fires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in April 2020

Cited by 17 publications

References 28 publications

The Environmental Effects of the April 2020 Wildfires and the Cs-137 Re-Suspension in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: A Multi-Hazard Threat

The Environmental Effects of the April 2020 Wildfires and the Cs-137 Re-Suspension in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: A Multi-Hazard Threat

Simulation of secondary radioactive air pollution in Ukraine due to the wind lift of radionuclides.

Wildfires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone—Risks and consequences

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