RESULTS OF WBC/MONITORING OF FIREFIGHTERS PARTICIPATING IN RESPONSE TO CHORNOBYL FOREST FIRES IN APRIL–MAY 2020
Authors:   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Bazyka D. , Fedirko P. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Vasylenko V. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Kolosynska O. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Yaroshenko, Z. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Kuriata M. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Kramarenko M. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Zadorozhna G. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Berkovskyy V. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Ratia G. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine, Iskra N. ,   State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM), 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: December 2020

Objective.of this study was to determine the levels of radionuclides in the rescuers’ bodies of the SES during firefighting in the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and to assess the dose of internal radiation due to this receipt. Materials and methods. From 06.04.2020 to 19.05.2020 in the State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (NRCRM) measurements of the content of incorporated gamma radionuclides on whole body counters (WBC) operational class «Screener-3M» (Minimum detected activity (MDA) is 300–500 Bq for 5 minutes of measurement at 137Cs) and expert high-sensitivity WBC (MDA is 20 Bq for 10 minutes of measurement at 137Cs). 470 people (523 measurements) in three groups of personnel of the SES of Ukraine who took part in the forest fire liquidation in the exclusion zone in the period from April 4 to May 5, 2020 were examined. Mathematical and spectrometric methods are used in the work. Results and conclusions. In the vast majority (95 %) of the personnel of the SES of Ukraine, examined at the WBC operational class «Screener-3M» (more than 500 measurements), the assessment of the values of the individual effective dose of internal radiation due to 137Cs in the body during firefighting, assuming that it receipt occurred during operation in the exclusion zone, did not exceed the minimum dose detected by MDD (5–14 μSv). The average value of the effective dose of internal radiation in the group of personnel of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv, which participated in the elimination of forest fires in the exclusion zone from April 4 to May 5, 2020 (26 people) studied at the expert WBC, is 2.5 ± 1.1 μSv, in the group of personnel of the SES of Ukraine in Cherkasy region, which participated in the fire on April 19–24, 2020 (9 people) – 2.2 ± 0.6 μSv, in the group of personnel of the SES of Ukraine in the Kyiv region, which took part in the elimination of the forest fire in the exclusion zone on April 4 – May 5, 2020 (42 people) – 4.4 ± 2.4 μSv. Maximum values of 5.1 μSv, 3.5 μSv, 11.8 μSv in the groups of Kyiv city, Cherkasy and Kyiv regions, respectively, which is much lower than the basic dose limit for the population from man-made sources of 1000 μSv · year-1 according to the Law of Ukraine about protection of the person against influence of ionizing radiation. Key words: forest fire, Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, internal irradiation, whole body counters, 137Сs.