Formation of Radioactive Aerosol Particles During the Wildland Fires in Chernobyl Zone and their Radioecological Impact

Abstract

Controlled grassland and forest fires have been carried out at the experimental plots in the Chernobyl zone in order to determine the parameters of the radioactive aerosols resuspension, transportation and deposition under well-described conditions. Radionuclide airborne concentrations, resuspension factors, deposition intensity and velocities and dispersal composition of the radioactive aerosols were measured. Doses to firemen from inhalation of radio- nuclides were calculated. A mathematical model for the initial plume rise was developed, while the further transportation of radioactivity in the atmosphere was described by the Gauss model. A Monte–Carlo algorithm was applied for modeling the radioactive aerosols resuspension/transportation in order to take into account the stochastic nature of the plume rise input parameters. In the model exercises the total radioactivity releases from the burning plots were estimated.