Field studies on the pre-operational period of a Belarusian NPP have allowed us to determine the “background” level of gamma-emitting radionuclides in individual components of the environment. The results of measuring the dose rate at the NPP construction site are from 0.048 to 0.089 μSv/h. External radiation in the surveyed area is at 96% due to ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th. The radionuclides in the surface soil layer are: ⁴⁰K – from 530 to 700 Bq/kg; ²²⁶Ra – from 30 to 55 Bq/kg; and ²³²Th – from 17 to 35 Bq/kg; ¹³⁷Cs from 2 to 13 Bq/kg. The dose rate in the floodplain of the Viliya River from 0.033 to 0.082 μSv/h. The activity concentrations of the radionuclides in the surface soil layer of the floodplain of the Viliya River are: ⁴⁰K – from 390 to 690 Bq/kg; ²²⁶Ra – from 33 to 50 Bq/kg; ²³²Th – from 15 to 50 Bq/kg; ¹³⁷Cs – from 3 to 12 Bq/kg. The activity concentration of carbon-14 and tritium in the dominant vegetation species were determined to be: from 74.4 to 111.5 pMC and less than lower range limit, respectively.

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E.I. Nazarov, A.A. Ekidin, A.V. Vasiljev, M.E. Vasyanovich, A.O. Nichiporchuk, V.A. Kozhemyakin, I.A. Kapustin, I.A. Privalov, E.V. Parkhomchuk, S.A. Rastigeev, V.V. Parkhomchuk, "Radiological assessment of the Belarusian nuclear power plant site in the pre-operational period," RAD Conf. Proc, vol. 4, 2020, pp. 142–148, http://doi.org/10.21175/RadProc.2020.30