Chornobyl radiation spikes are not due to military vehicles disturbing soil

Wood, M.D.; Beresford, N.A.; Barnett, C.L.; Burgess, P.H.; Mobbs, S.

Abstract

On 25th February 2022, increased gamma radiation dose rates were reported within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). This coincided with Russian military vehicles entering the Ukrainian part of the CEZ from neighbouring Belarus. It was speculated that contaminated soil resuspension by vehicle movements or a leak from the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant complex may explain these spikes in radiation dose rates. The gamma dose rate monitoring network in the CEZ provides a crucial early warning system for releases of radioactivity to the environment and is part of the international safeguards for nuclear facilities. With the potential for further military action in the CEZ and concerns over nuclear safety, it is essential that such anomalous readings are investigated. We evaluate the hypotheses suggested to explain the apparent gamma dose rate increases, demonstrating that neither military vehicle-induced soil resuspension nor a leak from the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant are plausible. However, disruption of the Chornobyl base-station's reception of wireless signals from the gamma dose rate monitoring network in the CEZ may potentially explain the dose rate increases recorded.

Citation

Wood, M., Beresford, N., Barnett, C., Burgess, P., & Mobbs, S. (in press). Chornobyl radiation spikes are not due to military vehicles disturbing soil. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 265, 107220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107220

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 7, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 21, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jul 4, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 4, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
• Print ISSN: 0265-931X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 265
• Pages: 107220
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107220