Radiological Conditions in the Dnieper River Basin

In 1986, in the Dnieper River Basin, a densely populated area in the middle of eastern Europe, the most severe nuclear accident in human history occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine. The accident destroyed a high power nuclear reactor and resulted in the release of large amounts of radionuclides into the environment. In the other areas of Ukraine adjacent to the middle reaches of the Dnieper River, uranium mining and milling facilities have been in operation since 1948 which have left substantial tailings containing naturally occurring radioactive materials. These, together with the accident, resulted in the contamination of substantial areas with radioactive residues, and some associated health effects such as elevated thyroid cancer incidence have been noted. This publication was prepared by an IAEA project team within the framework of the Dnieper Basin Environmental Programme carried out under the United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility. This report includes the findings and conclusions of the IAEA project team on radioactive contamination in the Dnieper Basin and its radiological consequences, as well as recommendations to the governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine in the area of radiation and environmental protection. The report is primarily intended for use by these national governments and local authorities of the Dnieper Basin countries, international bodies involved in the Dnieper Basin Environmental Programme and experts on radioactivity in the environment worldwide.