Assessment of the radiological impact of a decommissioned nuclear power plant in Italy

¹ CIRCE, INNOVA and Department of Environmental ScienceSecond University of Naples, Via Vivaldi, 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
² CIRCE, INNOVA and Department of Life ScienceSecond University of Naples, Via Vivaldi, 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
³ Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator (VERA), Fakultät für Physik, Universität Wien, Währinger Strasse 17, A-1090 Wien, Austria
⁴ Department of Nuclear PhysicsResearch School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
⁵ Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari, Garigliano Power Plant, Sessa Aurunca (Ce), Italy

Received: 29 September 2011
Accepted: 21 February 2012

Abstract

The assessment of the radiological impact of a decommissioned nuclear power plant is presented here through the results of an environmental monitoring survey carried out in the area surrounding the Garigliano Power Plant. The levels of radioactivity in soil, water, air and other environmental matrices are shown, in which α, β and γ activity and the γ equivalent dose rate are measured. Radioactivity levels of the samples from the Garigliano area are analyzed and then compared with those from a control zone situated more than 100 km away. Moreover, a comparison is made with a previous survey carried out in 2001. The analyses and comparisons show no significant alteration in the radiological characteristics of the area surrounding the plant, with the overall radioactivity depending mainly on the global fallout and natural sources.