Search

The results of experimental and modeling studies of the distributed generation sources (DG) influence on the occurrence in the Interconnected Power System (IPS) of Ukraine asynchronous modes (AM) caused by accidents in its main electrical network are presented. According to simulation scenarios it was assumed that the DG power was introduced into electrical distribution networks instead of the power units of thermal power plants of the IPS of Ukraine which were destroyed as a result of missile attacks by the Russians. In the absence of information about DGs, certain generalizations and assumptions are made regarding the possibility of DG groups modeling of in the form of turbine generators with different inertia constants. Various scenarios of the accidents occurrence and the functioning of relay protection and anti-emergency automation devices were considered. Conducted studies results show that the DG introduction into distribution electrical networks does not contribute to the AM occurrence in the main electrical network of the IPS of Ukraine. References 11, figures 10, tables 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern world, electric energy plays a pivotal role in sustaining life and driving technological, scientific, and human development. Consequently, the selection and availability of the energy sources used for electricity generation have become crucial elements of strategic planning for countries and economic blocks. Moreover, the impact of these choices extends beyond the mere energy demand/supply, affecting economies, societies and the environment across geographical boundaries. This study delves into the various factors influencing the composition and the recent expansion of the European electricity mix. It explores the interplay of environmental, climatic, political, economic, and external factors that shape Europe's energy choices. To conduct this analysis, we utilized data from the International Energy Agency on electricity generation and GHG emissions. Data mining techniques were employed to uncover patterns and trends in the monthly data from 2010 to 2022, from which political and economic milestones such as the shutdown of nuclear power plants and the European Union's increased reliance on natural gas imports from Russia were examined. The study also discusses the impact of using natural gas for power generation on increasing GHG emissions. Ultimately, this research reveals that the European Union choices in transitioning towards a cleaner electricity mix have not yet proven efficient. In fact, these choices may have inadvertently created favorable conditions for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, triggering, not only a humanitarian crisis, but also an economic downturn in Europe due to soaring energy prices. This crisis could potentially extend beyond Europe and impact the whole planet in 2023 and on, including developing countries that rely on stable energy prices for their sustainable growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Royal Decree-Law 8/2023 adopts measures to address the economic and social consequences derived from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as to alleviate the effects of drought. Title III of the decree is dedicated to energy and establishes measures for the incorporation of renewable energy facilities into the electrical system. Access and connection to electricity transportation and distribution networks are also regulated to promote self-consumption and decarbonization of the industry. Additionally, modifications are introduced in the hydrocarbon sector and flexibility is granted in the closure of thermal and nuclear power plants. Royal Decree-Law 8/2023 establishes measures to address fraudulent practices in the liquid hydrocarbon sector and to comply with the renewable energy objectives established by the European Union Directive. Support measures are also included to mitigate the effects of drought in sectors such as agriculture. Modifications are introduced in the legislation of the electricity and water sectors to promote energy storage and ensure water supply to nuclear power plants. These measures will come into effect on different dates starting from December 29, 2023. [Extracted from the article]

The outbreak of the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict exacerbated the natural gas supply shortage in European countries. European countries restarted coal-fired power plants to maintain economic and social operations. The uneven distribution of coal resources in the world makes coal international trade inevitable. The intricate trade relations between trading countries have formed a coal trade network. When a country's coal exports are limited due to geopolitical factors, it will cause coal supply risks. The risk will spread to more countries along the trade network, eventually leading to the collapse of the trade network. This paper builds a crisis propagation model of the coal supply under the Russia-Ukraine conflict using the cascading failure model. The results showed that the Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, and Bulgaria become abnormal as the proportion of coal exports β increases. When the Russian Federation reduced its coal exports by 80% and countries maintained only 10% coal exports against crisis, 23 European countries were the worst. Iceland, Ireland, Turkey and other countries were spread by the indirect risk and became abnormal countries. The Czech Republic and Bulgaria were spread by multiple risk and became abnormal countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brief analysis of the state, problems and external conditions of operation of combined heat and power plants in Ukraine, as well as their changes during hostilities. Issues and proposals for the choice of rational modes of operation of CHP in the conditions of primary fuel shortage, reduction of electrical loads of the energy system, the risk of possible damage to energy equipment during hostilities and in the postwar recovery. It is proposed to develop and implement in the practice of planning the development of survivability criteria of stations with connected district heating systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the effectiveness of using microturbines for reliable energy supply during the operation of boilers, heat pumps and other small and non-traditional energy systems. In view of the total global economy of fuel and energy resources, the difficult energy situation in Ukraine, the issues of energy saving and reliable operation of heat supply systems, including autonomous ones, come first. The development and implementation of new technologies in the field of small energy are becoming more and more relevant. The compact size of energy generators, and, accordingly, their mobility, arouse interest in research, development and application in small energy of modern autonomous power generation installations. Thermal power plants with different types of aggregates can be used as autonomous units, each of which can be rational for one or another specific field of application and type of fuel. Today, there are number of problems that make it possible to organize a reliable energy supply. Among them: energy deficit in the regions, lack of high-quality energy infrastructure, interruptions in energy supply, low energy efficiency of generation, high wear and tear of thermal power plant equipment and network infrastructure, lack of centralized heat supply in remote areas, high energy intensity of production. Now for consumers there are a number of obstacles in the reliable operation of the energy supply system, so the use of microturbines as an energy source for objects of various purposes will allow to effectively solving this problem. The use of counter-pressure steam microturbines in boiler rooms with steam boilers is the easiest way to utilize the energy of the steam flow to generate electricity and further utilize the steam heat in the boiler. The transfer of existing boiler houses to mini-CHP will make these enterprises highly profitable. In the calculations, the boilers of the DKVR series, which are predominant today in boiler rooms, were taken as the basic boilers. The calculation of the microturbine impeller is based on the Euler equation for plane-parallel flow. After analyzing the studies of the microturbine, it is possible to conclude about the expediency of its use to increase the efficiency and reliability of the operation of autonomous power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is dedicated to the experience generalization of the economic policy of the Soviet government. The purpose of the article is to highlight the general trends and features of the structural changes during the implementation of industrialization in the western regions of the Ukrainian SSR, its achievements and shortcomings. The research methodology is based on the fundamental principles of objectivity and historicism, such as the consideration of individual phenomena and processes in their development and in close connection with the system of corresponding social relations. Historical phenomena are considered against the background of political processes, which implies the use of comparative analysis method, which allowed to clarify the essence of the economic priorities that were decisive for the Soviet period and determined the strategy for the formation of industries and everyday life patterns in the western region of Ukraine throughout the Soviet era. Scientific novelty. For the first time in historiography, a comprehensive study of the mechanism of rapid industrialization of the western regions of the Ukrainian SSR was carried out, which was based on the "electrical equipment" in all sectors of the economy, due to structural changes, an increase in the share of energy-intensive industries, an increase in energy consumption for production in traditional industries - forestry, paper and woodworking, oil and gas, chemical mining complex. Conclusions. The process of industrialization of the western region of Ukraine was accompanied by large-scale construction of power plants, factories, reconstruction and technical re-equipment of workplaces, which contributed to the economic development of the region, employment of the population, and the creation of an industrial base from local resources. The western region of the republic developed at an accelerated pace, however, the low level of technology, imperfection of technology reduced the economic efficiency. At the same time, the main natural resources (oil, gas, potash salts, ozokerite, sulfur, coal) were depleted. It was fundamentally impossible to incorporate the market elements in the centrally planned economy, since everything was decided not by the manufacturers but by the party-state apparatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shot analysis of power systems decarbonisation problem to ensure a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions is given. The mathematical model of the power system capacity balancing, generating capacities of which are renewables and nuclear power plants (NPP) is proposed. For capacity balancing storage power plants (SPP) with specified efficiency indicators are used. By using the indicators of the operational conditions of the IPS of Ukraine in 2019 and mathematical modeling for various options of the NPP installed capacity in the decarbonised IPS of Ukraine, the needs in the renewables installed capacity and in the capacity and energy of various types of the SPP were estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Analysing the current state of sulfur dioxide and dust emissions from coal combustion at thermal power plants of Ukraine, predicting them with regard to changes which have occurred in the Ukrainian power industry over the last years, and estimating these emissions to compare with the limit gross emission values of pollutants according to the National Emissions Reduction Plan. Methodology. The method for calculating the pollutant emissions is elaborated, based on using the quantity of produced or supplied electricity for each year of TPP operation. Findings. It has been established that the gross emissions of SO2 at Ukrainian TPPs over the last years have amounted to about 620 thousand tons, and those of dust have made 140 thousand tons. In 2019, the average emission factors for all types of coal were 1180 g/GJ (for sulfur dioxide) and 288 g/GJ (for dust). The average values of specific emissions of SO2 and dust were 14.4 and 3.4 g/kWh of supplied electricity, respectively, as compared with 1.2 and 0.2 g/kWh, which are characteristic of the current level at coal TPPs of the EU countries. Originality. Analytic dependency has been established between SO2 emission factors in flue gas at coal TPPs and low heat value and sulfur and ash content for Ukrainian energy coal. Practical value. The developed method allows one to perform calculations of maximum permissible and predicted gross emissions of SO2 and dust at TPPs of Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liberalization of the electricity market aims at the most complete repletion of consumer needs for electricity and quality power supply, which requires the adaptive management of an energy using both by demand side and by the electricity producers – power plants. The successful solution of this task provides, in particular, for using the effective methods and reliable means for the formation of the informational support for the tasks of managing the power generation and delivery on the power plants in order to ensure conforming in real time the market power bids to current demand side asks. The article proposes a methodology, describes the implemented tools and analyzes the experience of managing the power generation and delivery on the cogeneration power plant based on the information which formed by the automated system for control, metering and energy management in the conditions of functioning of the liberalized electricity market of Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electrical Engineering & Electromechanics is the property of National Technical University, Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hydropower plants (HPPs) can affect the hydrological regime. However, biochemical responses of aquatic animals for the evaluation of this disturbing are not applied yet. The specimens of Unio tumidus were sampled in a reservoir (R) of a small HPP as well as downstream from the dam (DS). Biochemical indexes in the digestive gland and alkali labile phosphates (ALP) in the gonads were examined. The R-mollusks showed low cholinesterase, catalase and caspase-3 activities, and metallothionein concentration, but elevated levels of zinc and copper, oxidized glutathione and protein carbonyls. Concentrations of lactate, pyruvate and ALP, activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase, and lipid peroxidation level were similar in both groups. Integrated biomarker response (IBR/n) index (n = 13) was 2.17 and 0.29 in the R- and DS-groups correspondingly. We suggest that using integrative biological response based on the biochemical markers of bivalve mollusks can be a valid early warning step in assessing 'environmental flow' impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy from solar power plants is becoming more and more popular due to the depletion of raw materials and reduction of dependence on oil and gas and is also harmless to the natural environment. The management and rational use of land resources is currently a pressing problem in the world, including in Ukraine. One of the solutions is the development of technologies for the use of these areas and the establishment of environmentally friendly technologies for reducing air pollution, namely electricity facilities -- solar power plants based on the use of photovoltaic panels. Choosing the right location for obtaining solar energy depends on many factors and constraints. Optimal location of solar farms is important to maximize the beneficial features of projects while minimizing the negative. A method of finding places in the vicinity of large cities that could be suitable for installing power plants was developed. The proposed method uses an analytical hierarchical process, analytical network process, Boolean logic and weighted linear combination. It has been implemented in the QGIS program. The method was successfully used for the city of Zaporizhia, but it can be directly implemented in any other region. That is why the presented works constitute a scheme that can be easily used to estimate large areas in order to optimally choose a place for a solar park in the vicinity of large cities. Such a model can be very useful for investors to find potential locations for solar energy before conducting detailed field research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientific Bulletin of National Mining University is the property of National Mining University, State Higher Educational Institution and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Review of some PWI works on creation of advanced technologies of welding the equipment for enterprises of power engineering sector of Ukraine is presented. approaches to producing welded rotor structures, and combined joints of high-temperature components of equipment of thermal power plants are described. information on improvement of the technology of welding thick-walled pipe elements from 10GN2MFA steel for NPPs is generalized. The gained experience forms the basis for solving new problems in the power engineering sector of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Technical Electrodynamics / Tekhnichna Elektrodynamika is the property of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of Electrodynamics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The continuous growth of cyber–physical systems (CPS) attacks, especially due to the conflict in Ukraine, has highlighted the need for cybersecurity management mechanisms, due to the catastrophic consequences that a failure or attack on critical infrastructures such as power plants. Indeed, Gartner predicts that by 2025, 30% of critical infrastructures will suffer a cyberattack. In this context, defining the expected behaviour of the system is key to detecting and mitigating possible vulnerabilities both in the design and runtime phases. Modelling emerges as a tool that facilitates the analysis of the security offered by the system even before the system is implemented, allowing an early risk analysis. However, creating such a model is usually challenging due to its intrinsic complexity, or the reconfiguration needed after a security assessment due to a new vulnerability. The situation gets even worse when the system is a complex CPS-of-Systems, where different Constituent Systems (CS) are interconnected since cascade effects and dependencies are stronger and we might not have all the information from the third-party CS. Also, the results of the evaluation are typically used only during the design phase, thus missing out on potential security policies and mitigations that could be used during the system operation. In this sense, the Manufacturer Usage Description (MUD) allows the manufacturer to define access control policies that reduce the attack surface of a device. However, the limited expressiveness of this standard reduces the possibilities of its application in systems with more complex policies beyond the network level. We propose the usage of the MUD standard as a source of information for CPS modelling, providing information on interactions about third-party components of the system. In addition, we define an extended MUD model that deals with the expressiveness problems of the MUD and allows to automatically generate a behavioural profile that integrates the recommendations obtained from the assessment and modelling processes. The extended MUD could be used during runtime to reduce the attack surface of the system, enforce security configuration or even discern if a component is secure enough to be part of the ecosystem. Our approach has been validated in a real use case in the context of smart grid, to show its applicability. • Description of the MUD standard and integration of its model in the modelling process of the MUD model in the modelling process. • Extension of the MUD model coping with the lack of expressiveness of the standard. • Generation of the proposed extended MUD from the system model. • Application of the approach using the modelling tool Resilblockly in smart grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Technical Electrodynamics / Tekhnichna Elektrodynamika is the property of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of Electrodynamics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The occurrence of cyanobacteria in freshwaters attracts much attention due to its associated health threats and ecological implications. Yet data on the composition of cyanobacteria taxa and toxigenicity in some regions is still scarce. Here, we explored the occurrence of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in three locations in Ukraine (reservoir for Kasperivtsi Hydrothermal Power Plant and outflowing River Seret, and cooling pond of Khmelnytsky Atomic Power Plant) in summer 2017. Cyanobacteria were a dominant fraction at all stations. A number of potent-toxin producers were identified including Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Aphanizomenon gracile, Dolichospermum flos-aquae, and Planktothrix agardhii. Screening for the presence of dissolved and particulate content of microcystins (-LR, -YR, and -RR), cylindrospermopsin, and anatoxin-a yielded negative results. The studied waters displayed no toxicity in human platelets in vitro. Further toxicological and ecological studies are necessary to evaluate the potential presence of cyanotoxin producers in Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decree Law 5/2022, of May 17th, aims to alleviate the effects of the war conflict in Ukraine and the pandemic crisis in Catalonia. Urgent measures are established to simplify the authorization procedures for renewable energy generation projects, especially those with a power equal to or less than 5 MW. In addition, the requirements for the implementation of photovoltaic solar plants on agricultural and forest land are relaxed. The Decree Law came into effect on May 19th, 2022. [Extracted from the article]

The paper describes 3700 years of biogas manufacture with more details of last 120 years. Due to V. Omelianskij׳s researches 120 years ago, Ukrainians achieved a share in biogas manufacture in the overall biogas development. Poland started to take part in biogas development 96 years ago by finishing biogas plant in Posen 1928. History and current status of biogas plants achievements are collected and analyzed. Faults and achievements of the two countries are exactly described in the background of global history to draw conclusion for future that helps not to repeat the old errors. The development of green economy based on biogas is discussed. The paper brings back ideas that were previously extinguished due to low technological level and those could be used more successfully nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports the state-of-the-day for non-renewable and renewable energy in Ukraine and state policy of its development in the long-term perspective. Despite total dependence on imported energy resources and complex natural conditions to develop new own deposits of fossil fuels; the state does not pay enough attention to RE development. The article investigates the advantages and usefulness of the development of renewable energy sources, which are considered along with analysis of the most economically profitable directions of their use. The key obstacles, which reduce the effectiveness of RE deployment and barriers to the realization of RE projects by investors are analyzed. Considering Russia׳s military intervention, we paid attention to the peculiarities of the functioning of green power plants in the occupied Crimea and the loss of Ukrainian renewable energy sector from the annexation of the peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years Chernobyl exclusion zone has become a very popular tourist destination. Many people visiting power plant, Pripyat city or surrounding villages use different types of personal dosimeters to control external exposure, however very small group of tourist have opportunity to control internal contamination of respiratory tract using dedicated, high sensitive whole body counters. In this study 11 anti-dust masks collected from CEZ visitors and filters from one military MP-5 mask were analyzed using alpha, beta and gamma spectrometry to determine doses from actinides and fission products which can be inhaled without proper protective equipment. Results showed, that average effective dose from inhalation of contaminated aerosol in case of single-day trip (avoided due to use of mask) was 1.3 μSv per person, which is much smaller than potential effective dose after exploration of highly contaminated areas like Jupiter complex, where combined dose from all measured nuclides collected on MP-5 mask filter was 1.4 mSv., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To survey the possible presence of chromosomal damage and internal contamination in a group of Ukrainian children and adolescents, 20 years after the Chernobyl accident at the Nuclear Power Plant. Materials and methods: Cytogenetical procedures were performed according to dicentric assay in 55 Ukrainian children and adolescents (29 boys and 26 girls), living near Chernobyl. In addition, a whole body detector and urinalysis were used to detect internal contamination. Results: 36 dicentrics were found in a total of 53,477 metaphases scored in these children, which reflected a frequency of dicentrics below the background level. On the other hand, internal contamination was not detected in any subject studied. Conclusions: Since the estimated absorbed dose is below the detection limit, according to both biological and physical dosimetry, radiation overexposure during the last 3-5 years has not been detected in the considered subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The models and methods of evaluation the power plant costs in services provision of primary and secondary frequency control are described. The costs evaluation is based on the calculation of opportunity costs resulting from the necessity of holding active power reserves to the needs of frequency control. This models and methods are an integral part of the methodology of price formation in the ancillary services market. They are oriented on solving the problem of stimulating power generators to provide services of the primary and secondary frequency control in the Ukrainian power system. These opportunity costs are the costs of power that could be used by the owner of the generating unit of power plant for selling electricity on the wholesale market. The model considers situations when electricity production becomes unprofitable due to reduction of market prices. The methods allow determining the power plant costs depending on the situation which is prevailing on the electricity market of Ukraine. The methods can be used in pool model and in balancing electricity market model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ukrainian renewable energy sector has demonstrated a significant increase in its renewable power capacity, especially for solar and wind power plants. Decommissioning the end-of-life equipment in Ukraine has not yet taken place, but it is only a matter of time. With this in mind, this paper assesses the quantities and the market values of the materials that could potentially be recovered from used solar and wind power plants, and it estimates the impact of their decommissioning on employment in Ukraine. It has been estimated that approximately 8.9 GW of solar power plants, and 3.6 GW of wind power plants, will be decommissioned from 2044 to 2059, and that the cost of the raw materials recovered could reach EUR 421.4 million and EUR 124.6 million in 2021 prices, respectively, compared to the decommissioning costs of EUR 240.1 million and EUR 49.1 million, respectively. Decommissioning renewable power plants will require the creation of new jobs, including 11.6 thousand in the solar industry, and 2.8 thousand in the wind sector. It is essential to amend the legislation in Ukraine, particularly Directive 2012/19/EU, to introduce the principle of the extended producer responsibility to ensure the efficient recycling of renewable power plant end-of-life equipment in Ukraine in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remediation of streams impacted by non-point source contaminants requires an understanding of both the areas within a watershed that are contributing contamination to streams and the pathways of contaminant migration to streams. From 1998 to 2002, we studied the migration of 90Sr in the Borschi watershed, a small (8.5 km2) catchment three km south of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine. Fuel particles, distributed in a heterogeneous pattern across the watershed, are weathering and releasing 90Sr from the fuel matrix. Depletion of 90Sr, evaluated in comparison to the immobile fission product europium-154, is occurring in the channel and wetland sediment. Channel sediments are uniformly depleted in 90Sr with depth. In wetland sediments, there is a zone of depletion in the top10 cm and a zone of accumulation at depths from 10 to 25 cm. Estimates of 90Sr depletion are used to map the effective source area that has contributed 90Sr loading to the main channel. The effective source area includes channel bottom sediments, a wetland in the central region of the watershed, and periodically flooded soils surrounding the wetland. The total depletion from the effective source area is estimated to be 36±7×1010 Bq. Based on observations of stream flow rate and water quality in 1999–2001, the annual 90Sr removal rate from the watershed is estimated to be 1.4±0.2×1010 or 1.5% of the inventory per year. When extrapolated over a 15-year period following the Chernobyl accident, the last value is in reasonable agreement with the estimated depletion of the source area based on 90Sr/154Eu ratios. The 90Sr yearly leaching rate considering the whole watershed is 0.2% while the 90Sr leaching rate considering the effective source area is an order of magnitude higher. Most of the 90Sr release in the watershed has originated from an effective source area of 0.62 km2, or 7% of the watershed area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

School-based practitioners, including social workers in social service centers for youth, are responsible for helping Ukrainian families and children cope with the consequences of the 1986 Chornobyl power plant disaster. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of intensive training seminars for these practitioners. We used a collaborative educational method that we have found useful for training social workers in Vietnam and the United States to create empowering learning environments. Preliminary feedback suggested that the training was successful, and participants acquired new knowledge and skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reports the study of the vertical migration of radionuclides in soils at test sites adjacent to the 30-km Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The results of this effort demonstrate that the migration processes for studied pollution occur similarly to the fuel fallout behavior at the vicinity of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) Unit 4. It was also observed that the main fallout component, 137Cs, originated from aerosol fallout and was bound in the surface layer. The authors determined a significant increase of 60Co, 94Nb, and 241Am radionuclide concentrations in soils near the ChNPP Unit 4 and suggested their appearance due to the installation of the New Safe Confinement. Niobium-94 activity is proposed as a marker for monitoring the "fresh" fallout in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Health Physics Society.)

This article focuses on the theoretical models simulating the processes that affect radioactivity transport and deposition used in conjunction with the observations on radionuclides released after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. During the initial explosions, material containing spent fuel enriched with noble gases and volatile nuclides of iodine, tellurium and cesium was ejected into the atmosphere. Gravitational settling of the coarser material released over the first five days dominated the deposition pattern close to the site. Scientists have used modeling results in conjunction with observations to reduce the quantities of various nuclides released from the Chernobyl reactor and their variation in time. The emissions from the Chernobyl accident cannot be compared in magnitude with the fallout to be expected from an exchange of nuclear weapons, not even after the reductions envisaged in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The studies of the dispersion and deposition of readionuclide releases from Chernobyl have shown clearly that radionuclides may be transported over long distances and that this process can be predicted by mathematical models.

Background: The long-term effects of ionising radiation, including radioiodine, on thyroid function are not well known. We compared thyroid immunity and function in two groups of children from Belarus, one of whom was exposed to the radioactive fallout of Chernobyl.Methods: We measured serum free thyroxine 4 (free T4), free T3, and thyrotropin hormone (TSH) and the prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies (antithyroglobulin and antithyroperoxidase), in 287 children or adolescents living in Hoiniki (average caesium contamination of 5.4 Ci/km2). We also studied 208 children and adolescents living in Braslav (average contamination <0.1 Ci/km2), who were age 12 years or less at the time of the Chernobyl accident.Findings: The prevalence of antithyroglobulin or antithyroperoxidase, or both, was significantly higher (p=0.0001) in individuals living in Hoiniki (56 [19.5%] of 287) than in those living in Braslav (eight [3.8%] of 208). In both villages, no sex differences were found in the antibody prevalence before age 13 years. Thereafter, a significantly higher prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies was found in girls from Hoiniki. The increase in the prevalence of circulating antibodies in the contaminated group was already apparent in individuals who, at the time of the accident, were in utero or newborn (15.7%), and was even more pronounced in children of 9 years or more (35.1%). No major alterations of serum FT-4, FT-3, or TSH were found.Interpretation: 6-8 years after the Chernobyl accident, a significant increase in thyroid autoimmunity was found in children exposed to radioactive fallout. Pubertal age in girls is a risk factor for increased prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity. The autoimmune phenomena are limited to an increased prevalence of circulating thyroid autoantibodies without evidence of significant thyroid dysfunction. The future development of clinically relevant thyroid autoimmune diseases, especially hypothyroidism, is a possibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the accidents at Chernobyl, the Soviet Union, and in Goiania, Brazil, there is increasing concern about the medical risks from radiation accidents. This overview summarizes the principles of nuclear energy, the biologic effects of accidental radiation exposure, the emergency response to nuclear accidents, and approaches to treating radiation injuries. Also discussed are the related issues of reactor safety, the disposal of radioactive waste, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. With the increasing use of radioactive materials for power, weapons, and medical diagnostics, the medical community needs to understand the health consequences of radiation exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]