The issue of radioactive contamination in water bodies, including surface waters, has become an increasingly pressing concern. This problem has arisen due to the development of nuclear energy since the mid-20th century, nuclear weapons testing, radiation incidents and accidents, as well as the discharge and emissions from nuclear energy facilities, and other human-made activities—of which the Semiplatinsk test site is one example.1 Beckman, I.N. “Radioecology and Ecological Radiochemistry: A Textbook for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees.” M: Yurayt Publ. Hous., 2018, pp. 246-278. (in Russian) A substantial portion of these surface waters consists of natural lakes, which are widespread globally, holding a total volume of approximately 182,000 km³, significantly surpassing the water content in rivers.2Messager, Mathis Loïc, Bernhard Lehner, Günther Grill, Irena Nedeva, and Oliver Schmitt. “Estimating the Volume and Age of Water Stored in Global Lakes Using a Geo-Statistical Approach.” Nature Communications 7, no. 1 (December 15, 2016): 13603. Link.
After numerous nuclear tests at the STS, various radioactive materials, including uranium and plutonium isotopes, as well as by-products like cesium-137 (137Cs) and strontium-90 (90Sr) isotopes, were released into the environment. These releases occurred because of the extreme conditions generated during the detonations, such as high temperatures and pressures.
During these blasts, certain elements that are resistant to heat and pressure were released as particles. These particles can vary in size, from tiny submicron particles to larger fragments. However, these particles are less likely to contain radioactive materials that easily evaporate or disperse into the air.
As a result, the characteristics of these radioactive particles, including what radioactive elements or substances they contain, their size distribution, the types of crystals they form, and their oxidation states, depend on the specific source of the radioactive materials and the circumstances under which they were released.3Lukashenko, S., A. Kabdyrakova, O. C. Lind, I Gorlachev, A. Kunduzbayeva, T. Kvochkina, K. Janssens, W. de Nolf, Yu Yakovenko, and B. Salbu. “Radioactive Particles Released from Different Sources in the Semipalatinsk Test Site.” Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 216 (2020): 106160-1-106160–19. Link.
Within STS territory, the natural lakes bear much of the impact of radionuclide contamination, stemming mainly from two sources:
The first source relates to the radioactive fallout generated during ground tests of nuclear weapons. The second involves the influence of global fallout, which has also contributed significantly to the lakes’ contamination. It is important to mention that the external reservoir of the “Atomic” lake stands as an exception, as its contamination primarily originates from the excavation explosion that occurred in 1965.4Aidarkhanova, A., N. Larionova, Zh. Tleukanova, A. Mamyrbaeva, R. Ermakova, Yu. Svetacheva, M. Aktayev, and A. Panitskiy. “The Character of Radionuclide Contamination of Natural Lakes at the Territory of the Semipalatinsk Test Site.” Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 255 (December 1, 2022): 107041. Link.
When entering a natural lake, radionuclides have the potential to accumulate, redistribute, and migrate within the various components of the lake’s ecosystem.5Howard, Brenda. “Environmental Pathways of Radionuclides to Animal Products in Different Farming and Harvesting Systems.” In Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies in Animal Production Systems, Preparedness, Response and Recovery, edited by Ivancho Naletoski, Anthony G. Luckins, and Gerrit Viljoen. Berlin (DE): Springer, 2021. Link. Consequently, extensive research has been conducted to ascertain the extent of natural lake contamination by artificial radionuclides, considering their presence in water, sediments, and plant life (an extensive list of potential sources can be found in the bibliography of this paper and this one).
Leave a Reply