title: Environmental, health and safety assessment of decommissioning radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) in northwest Russia.
abstract: This paper presents findings from public health and environmental assessment work that has been conducted as part of a joint Norwegian-Russian project to decommission radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) in northwest Russia. RTGs utilise heat energy from radioactive isotopes, in this case 90Sr and its daughter nuclide 90Y, to generate electricity as a power source. Different accident scenarios based on the decommissioning process for RTGs are assessed in terms of possible radiation effects to humans and the environment. Doses to humans and biota under the worst-case scenario were lower than threshold limits given in ICRP and IAEA literature.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, PO Box 55, N-1332 Østerås, Norway. william.strandring@nrpa.no
authors.forename: W J F
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Standring
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dowdall
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sneve
authors.forename: Ø G
authors.initials: ØG
authors.lastname: Selnaes
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Amundsen
mesh_terms: D003666:Decontamination; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D007391:International Cooperation; D009664:Norway; D011210:Power Plants / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011835:Radiation Protection; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012308:Risk Management; D012426:Russia; D012449:Safety; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011850:Radioactive Waste; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes