title: [Assessment of soil degradation in regions of nuclear power explosions at Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site].
abstract: Degree of the soil cover degradation at the "Balapan" and "Experimental field" test sites was assessed based on Allium-test of soil toxicity results and international guidelines on radioactive restriction of solid materials (IAEA, 2004) and environment (Smith, 2005). Soil cover degradation maps of large-scale (1 : 25000) were made. The main part of the area mapped belongs to high-contaminated toxic degraded soil. A relationship between the soil toxicity and the total radionuclide activity concentrations was found to be described by power functions. When the calculated value (equal to 413-415 Bq/kg of air dry soil) increases, the soil becomes toxic for plants. This value is 7.8 times higher than the maximal value for background territories (53 Bq/kg) surrounding SNTS. Russian sanitary and hygienic guidelines (Radiation safety norms, 2009; Sanitary regulations of radioactive waste management, 2003) underestimate the degree of soil radioactive contamination for plants.
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Evseeva
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Geras'kin
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Maĭstrenko
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Belykh
mesh_terms: D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D012426:Russia; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011850:Radioactive Waste; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive