Consequences of the incident at Novovoronezh NPP in 1985

¹ Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Centre Federal Medical Biological Agency, 123182, Zhivopisnaya 46 Moscow, Russia
² All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Operation, 109507, Ferganskaya 25, Moscow, Russia
³ Novovoronezh NPP, 396072 Novovoronezh, Voronezh Region, Russia

Abstract

In 1985, at Novovoronezh NPP (NVNPP), the leakage occurred of liquid radioactive waste (LRW) from the storage facility No. 2 (SLW-2) into the soil. According to the fulfilled assessments, the total volume of LRW penetrated into the soil was about 480 m³, the total activity of ⁶⁰Co was 76 TBq (2050 Ci) and of ¹³⁷Cs – 15 TBq (390 Ci). The total activity of other radionuclides was less than 0,037 TBq (1 Ci). The salt contents in LRW were 120–150 g/l. Thus, ⁶⁰Co was the main contaminant of the environment.