Ядерна фізика та енергетика Nuclear Physics and Atomic Energy   ISSN: 1818-331X (Print), 2074-0565 (Online)   Publisher: Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine   Languages: Ukrainian, English   Periodicity: 4 times per year   Open access peer reviewed journal

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V. K. Shynkarenko^*, S. A. Paskevych, Y. A. Menshenin, O. O. Odintsov

Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

^*Corresponding author. E-mail address: shynkarenko.viktor@gmail.com

Abstract: The data on the state of radioactive contamination of leaves of plants growing directly on the territory of the drained part of the cooling pond of the Chernobyl NPP are presented. It was shown that the main source of contamination is the root intake of radionuclides (¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr). This contamination is larger in previously drained areas compared to recently exposed ones. Hot particles were found on the leaf surface by autoradiography. Their total β-activity is a few percent of the total pollution. Possible sources of hot particles – resuspension in the air in the region of the northern part of the cooling pond are discussed.

Keywords: drainage of the cooling pond, hot particles, autoradiography, accumulation of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr by vegetation, wind resuspension.

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