Tritium content in vegetation cover at nuclear test locations at the “Sary-Uzen” site in the Semipalatinsk Test Site

Abstract

Numerous areas of the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS) were subjected to radioactive contamination, including tritium. The tritium content in plants was determined in free water (TFWT) and in the organic component (OBT). It has been established that the OBT content in plants for the “Sary-Uzen” site between combat boreholes ranges from <7–125 Bq/kg and the background OBT content is 21.5 Bq/kg. The maximum OBT values in plants have been recorded in the vicinity of boreholes and range from 7.1 (near the borehole numbered 106) to 200,000 Bq/kg (near the borehole numbered 101). Overall, the tritium content in the vegetation cover at the “Sary-Uzen” site is negligible and does not pose a threat. Isolated cases of tritium content in drinking water exceeding the intervention level have been identified in plants in the “Lazurit” area, as well as near combat boreholes numbered 125 and 101.

Keywords

• Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS)
• Tritium
• OBT
• TFWT