POPULATION DOSE NEAR THE SEMIPALATINSK TEST-SITE

To determine the consequences of atmospheric atomic bomb tests for the population in the surroundings of the former nuclear weapons test sit e near Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan, a pilot study was performed by an international cooperation between Kazakh, French, Czech and German ins titutions at two villages, Mostik and Maisk. Together with Kazakh scie ntists, eight experts from Europe carried out a field mission in Septe mber 1995 to assess, within the framework of a NATO supported project, the radiological situation as far as external doses, environmental co ntamination and body burden of man were concerned. A summary of the re sults obtained is presented. The actual radiological situation near th e test site is characterized by fallout contaminations. Cs was found i n upper soil layers in concentrations similar to those of the global f allout. Also Sr, Am and Co were observed. The resulting present dose t o the population is low. Mean external doses from soil contamination f or Maisk and Mostik (0.60-0.63 mSv/year) presently correspond to mean external doses in normal environments. Mean values of the annual inter nal doses observed in these two villages are below 2,mu Sv/year for Sr -90. For other radionuclides the internal doses are also negligible.