Zoning of radioactively contaminated territories after the Chornobyl accident

Abstract

The radiological zoning of Chornobyl contaminated areas was one of the essential elements of social and radiation protection. The zoning was based on estimates of annual committed effective doses to members of the public and on the levels of radionuclide deposition density. In 1991, 86 settlements were classified as associated with the zone of unconditional (mandatory) resettlement, and 841 settlements were assigned to the zone of guaranteed voluntary resettlement. The status of these settlements has been preserved until now. The assessments showed that as of 2022, for all settlements located outside the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone the radiological conditions do not exceed the current legislative criteria for inclusion in the zone of unconditional (mandatory) resettlement. It is also shown that in 2022, the zone of guaranteed voluntary resettlement can be assigned for: only 38 settlements, according to the legislative criterion "90Sr density of contamination" and only 17 settlements, according to the legislative criterion "137Cs density of contamination". The work also indicates and analyses the provisions of current legislation that require clarification.