Wpływ skażeń promieniotwórczych na pole naturalnego promieniowania gamma

Abstract

INFLUENCE OF RADIOACTIVE POLLUTIONS ON FIELD OF NATURAL GAMMA RADIATION Summary The main sources of natural gamma radiation are the decay products of the uranium-238, thorium-232 decay series, and element potasium.-40. The gamma emission of these radionuclides has been used in geophysical prospecting methods for many years. The reactor accident.at the Chemobyl nuclear plant substantially disturbed natural background radiation for many years. The spatial distribution of contamination materials was a results of the meteorological conditions during and after the passage of the radioactive clouds. One of the main tasks of the spectrometric – gamma measurements undertaken in 1986 in the area of the Sudety Mts was to determine the influence of these radiological contaminations on results of gamma-ray prospecting methods. The Chemobyl accident seriously increased people's fears of nuclear energy, both in Poland and in other countries. The full information on consequences of this accident is necessary for the people of all over the world. The results of measurements showed that the radioactive contamination of cesium.-137 for the investigated area was of 25 - 40 kBq/sq m. The radioelements of contamination produce gamma radiation far lower or, in some cases, at a level comparable to natural background radiation. The results of these investigations show that agricultural activity seriously diminishes the level of this part of observed gamma radiation.