POPULATION DOSES IN RUSSIA FROM PLUTONIUM FALLOUT FOLLOWING THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT

Estimates are presented of the radiation doses due to plutonium receiv ed by people living iii the areas of Russia contaminated as a result o f the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station. This is based o n model representations of the migration of the nuclides in the 'soil- man' system. The effective dose (E) has been examined for the whole po pulation and for the critical group of Inhabitants (agricultural machi ne operators) in relation to the inhalation of resuspended radionuclid es. The calculated irradiation doses were supplemented by values obtai ned from the determination of the concentration of plutonium isotopes in the main organs and tissues of people living in contaminated areas of the Bryansk region. An analysis of autopsy data gives an unambiguou s indication of the existence of 'Chernobyl additions' to the plutoniu m concentration burden of the inhabitants. It was established that the effective dose values vary within fairly wide limits in different pop ulation groups.