RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY OF MOTHBALLED URANIUM MINING FACILITIES AND SETTLEMENTS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE NORTH-KAZAKHSTAN REGION

This paper provides data of the reconnaissance (preliminary) radiation survey of mothballed uranium mining facilities (MUMF) and adjacent settlements in the southern part of the North-Kazakhstan region (NKR). It is shown that, according to the level of EDR values, MUMF locations, when the public periodically stays in these areas, do not pose any radiation hazard. The exception is Grachevskoe MUMF where EDR values reached up to 14.0 µSv/h. Around the settlements, EDR values vary from 0.1 to 0.5 µSv/h. Elevated values are noted on highways. Regulatory values of radon EEVA were also found to be significantly exceeded in Toksan bi vil. A minor excess of radon EEVA was detected in Novoukrainka vil. Exceedance of the content of ²³⁸U up to 4 MPC was detected in sources of drinking water supply. Exceedances of up to 5 MPC for ²³⁸U were also found in natural waters.  The total alpha activity showed an excess of up to 15 MPC. Natural waters exhibit an excess of up to 10 MPC. Based upon the data analysis during the reconnaissance survey, the Grachevskoe MUMF and Novoukrainka settlement were selected for a detailed survey.

1. Otchet po meropriyatiyu «Izuchenie radiatsionnoy obstanovki na territorii Respubliki Kazakhstan. Obespechenie radiatsionnoy bezopasnosti» (rezul'taty rabot za period 2004-2008gg.) // Respublikanskaya byudzhetnaya Programma № 01. – Almaty, 2008 g.

2. ST RK GOST R 51592-2003. Voda. Obshchie trebovaniya k otboru prob. – Astana: Komitet po standartizatsii, metrologii i sertifikatsii, 2003. – 37s.

3. GOST 31861-2012. Voda. Obshchie trebovaniya k otboru prob. – Moskva: Standartinform, 2013. – 60 s.

4. GOST 17.1.5.01-80. Okhrana prirody. Gidrosfera. Obshchie trebovaniya k otboru prob donnykh otlozheniy vodnykh ob"ektov dlya analiza na zagryaznennost'. – Moskva: IPK Izdatel'stvo standartov, 2002. – 6 s.

5. GOST 17.4.3.01-2017. Okhrana prirody. Pochvy. Obshchie trebovaniya k otboru prob. – Moskva: Standartinform, 2018. – 4 s.

6. GOST 26449.1-85 Ustanovki distillyatsionnye opresnitel'nye statsionarnye. Metody khimicheskogo analiza solenykh vod. – Moskva, 1987.

7. Aktivnost' radionuklidov v ob"emnykh obraztsakh. Metodika vypolneniya izmereniy na gamma-spektrometre: MI 2143-91. – Vved. 1998-06-02. – Reg. № 5.06.001.98. – M.: NPO VNIIFTRI, 1991. – 18 s.

8. MVI KZ 07.00.03104-2015. Summarnaya al'fa- beta- aktivnost' prirodnykh vod (presnykh i mineralizovannykh). Podgotovka prob i vypolnenie izmereniy. Metodika radiatsionnogo kontrolya. M.: FGUP «VIMS». 2013. – 31 s.

9. Gigienicheskie normativy k obespecheniyu radiatsionnoy bezopasnosti: utv. prikazom Ministra zdravookhraneniya Respubliki Kazakhstan ot 02 avgusta 2022 g. № ҚR DSM-71.

10. Sanitarnye pravila «Sanitarno-epidemiologicheskie trebovaniya k vodoistochnikam, mestam vodozabora dlya khozyaystvenno-pit'evykh tseley, khozyaystvenno-pit'evomu vodosnabzheniyu i mestam kul'turno-bytovogo vodopol'zovaniya i bezopasnosti vodnykh ob"ektov» / Utverzhdeny prikazom ministra natsional'noy ekonomiki Respubliki Kazakhstan ot 16 marta 2015 goda – № 209.