Radiation and Geochemical Assessment of the Soil State in the South of Tyumen Region

Abstract

The article presents a study of the radiation and geochemical background state of soil in the south of Tyumen region. According to the obtained data it was revealed that within the study areas, the power values of gamma radiation exposure dose ranged from 6 to 12.5 mcR/h, due to the natural gamma background of the area. The research results of the soils radiation status have shown that the main contribution to the radiation activity of soils is made by the natural radionuclide potassium-40 and man-made strontium-90. Elevated concentration of strontium-90 was observed in grey forest soils and amounted to 102 Bq/kg. The study of soil radiation contamination in the “Tavda” explosion epicenter (Nizhnetavdinsky district) revealed the dynamics of migration of radionuclides along the soil profile, which takes place at a considerable depth (80–100cm). The maximum concentration of strontium-90 was observed in the area “South-200” at the soil layer of 10–20 cm depth and was 1680 Bq/kg. The presence of heavy metals mobile forms in the soils of the Tyumen region south is within the MPC. The article presents a mathematical processing of the obtained results.