From the Editor-in-Chief

I.V. Yarmoshenko

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THE ROLE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN EXPANDING THE FUEL AND ENERGY BASE AND THE CLIMATE PRESERVING

S. E. Shcheklein

The article provides an estimated substantiation of the concept of expanding the fuel and energy base and reducing the volume of greenhouse gas emissions with the joint use of fossil and nuclear fuel in the hybrid nuclear-thermal power plants. It is shown that the technological scheme (the production of saturated steam in a nuclear steam producing plant – NPPU, and then overheating to the maximum achieved parameters in the thermal power industry applying the fossil fuel) leads to a decrease in the specific consumption of gas fuel for the production of electrical energy by 25-30%, emissions of combustion products by 2.5 times (compared to thermal power plants), consumption of industrial water (compared to nuclear power plants) – by 1.5 times. It is indicated that it is possible to expand the fuel base of modern nuclear energy with thermal neutron reactors through the use of technologies mastered (breeder reactors) and promising (hybrid thermonuclear reactors). The fundamental advantage of the considered JPPP-TPP complex is feasibility in a short period of time with a significant reduction in the carbon footprint per unit of energy produced, which is an important condition for the sustainable growth of energy production while maintaining the ecological balance in the geosphere.

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RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTAL OPERATIONS ON TEMPORARY DISCONNECTING THE COOLING SYSTEM IN RADIOACTIVE SUSPENSION STORAGE CONTAINERS

N. P. Starovoitov, V. A. Kazakov, R. E. Abdulvagidov, V. A. Dudkin, P. V. Kozlov, A. A. Miroshnichenko, S. V. Kustov

In 2012, experimental operations were carried out to temporarily disable the cooling system at four refrigerated storage tanks for radioactive suspensions in order to bring them into a more stable and safe state. This paper shows that turning off the cooling
of the tanks, which leads to an increase in the temperature of sediments, makes it possible to increase the rate of release (dissolution) of metal compounds and their radionuclides from the sediment and redistribution throughout the volume (pulping). As a consequence of these actions – a decrease in the height of the sediment to stable values. For storage tanks No. 9 and No. 12, the draft height was 2.9 m. For storage tanks No. 10 and No. 11 it was 2.0 m and 2.2 m, respectively. The dissolution of sediments took place to a greater extent due to their heating. The 2020 data showed that the height of precipitation remains stable or decreases. However, in order to assess safety, it is necessary to take into account the inertia of the system when cooling is resumed. Based on the work carried out, it was concluded that the storage tanks for radioactive suspensions are in an explosion- and fire-proof state. At the same time, it should be noted that further carrying out the leaching process by introducing additional volumes of alkali into storage tanks is highly undesirable and can only be considered in extreme cases.

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PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER FROM A DEEP SOURCE OF POLLUTION DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A URANIUM DEPOSIT DOBROVOLNY BY SULFURIC ACID IN-SITU LEACHING (KURGAN REGION)

I. N. Solodov

Evidence is provided for the geofiltration and geochemical natural protection of groundwater from a deep (550–600 m) source of pollution, which is formed in the process of mining ore deposits of the hydrogenous uranium deposit Dobrovolny by sulfuric acid in situ leaching. Methods for protecting groundwater using a reliable design of technological wells are also described.

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TIME VARIABILITY OF PLANT RESPONSE UNDER CHRONIC EXPOSURE: POSSIBLE APPROACHES TO ASSESSING ADAPTATION TO ABIOTIC STRESS

E. V. Antonova, N. S. Shimalina, V. N. Pozolotina

Modern data on the time-varying long-term consequences of the action of ionizing radiation in plants are analyzed. The assessment of radiobiological effects is based on an analysis of absorbed dose rate data and the ICRP reference species concept (Publication 108). The
main directions necessary for the development of a methodology for monitoring the state of populations over time have been identified: 1) assessment of transgenerational effects in plants from radioactive contamination areas after stress removal; 2) study of the long-term
dynamics of the quality of seed progeny to assess the interaction of radiation and non radiation factors; 3) comparison of seasonal (intra-annual) rhythms of the physiological and biochemical status of seed progeny maturated in the contaminated areas and beyond. Data analysis allows us to establish some regularities in the formation of adaptive responses of plants over time under the combined influence of different factors, which is necessary to improve the principles of environmental regulation developed in the field of radiation safety.

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POPULATION EXPOSURE DUE TO RADIOACTIVE EMISSIONS OF JSC “SSC RIAR” IN 2020

A. B. Avdonina, V. D. Kizin

The results of a computational analysis of the annual effective exposure doses of the population of the city of Dimitrovgrad from emissions of radioactive substances into the atmospheric air during normal operation of nuclear facilities of JSC “SSC RIAR” are presented. It is shown that in 2020 the calculated effective dose to the population did not exceed 2.34 μSv, which is less than the negligible annual effective dose of 10 μSv. The main contribution to the calculated dose of exposure is made by external exposure from the cloud and internal exposure from food consumption. A list of the main dose-forming radionuclides (23 nuclides) has been determined. It is shown that according to the results of monitoring emissions in 2020, the main dose-forming radionuclides are 88Kr, 41Ar and 131I.
The calculated annual effective exposure dose to the population of the city of Dimitrovgrad is less than 0.1% of the exposure dose to the population due to natural sources, which confirms the radiation safety of the population living in the impact zone of JSC “SSC RIAR” during its normal operation.

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ACCELERATOR MASS SPECTROMETRY FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS (SHORT REVIEW)

E. V. Parkhomchuk, A. V. Petrozhitskii, M. M. Ignatov, D. V. Kuleshov, P. N. Kalinkin, E. A. Prokopyeva, L. A. Kutnyakova, V. V. Parkhomchuk

Biomedical applications of the 14C accelerator mass spectrometry method are presented: mass balance determination and ADME/AME studies; drug metabolites or xenobiotics profiling in combination with the HPLC method; xenobiotics or drugs pharmacokinetics study in the early stages of development using the microdose method; cytotoxicity level determination of substances. Examples of biomedical experiments at the Unique Scientific Facility AMS BINP SB RAS are given: 14C-labeled methanol and its metabolites excretion kinetics study from mice various organs; study of the aerosol particles impact on a living organism, in case of various sizes polystyrene 14C labeled microspheres at low concentrations; method of detecting Helicobacter pylori using 14C labeled urea is tested; a method for recording ultra-low concentrations of viruses is proposed. The capabilities of radiocarbon AMS detection are one 14C atom per 1012-1015 12C atoms. This high sensitivity makes it possible to shift the detection threshold of 14C labeled substances of interest to lower concentrations, inaccessible to the state of art methods used previously. Therefore, the possibility to use of drugs in subpharmacological doses opens up. On the one hand, such small doses can be considered to be safe for human health, and on the other hand, they give an early overview of the human body reaction to substances of interest. At the same time, the labeled drugs radioactivity, required for accurate AMS registration, is several times lower than the natural radiation level. Thus, it does not pose a threat to the human health. The use of radiocarbon AMS in biomedicine reduces drug development time.

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DIRECTIONS OF RESEARCH WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE FEDERAL PROJECT “DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES FOR CONTROLLED FUSION AND INNOVATIVE PLASMA TECHNOLOGIES” IN TRINITI JSC

D. V. Markov, K. I. Ilyin

The Joint Stock Company State Research Center of the Russian Federation Troitsk Institute for Innovation and Fusion Research is one of the basic platforms for the implementation of the project activities on “Development of thermonuclear fusion control technologies and innovative plasma technologies”. This article presents the main areas of research implemented in the project at the site of the Institute.

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SUBSTANTIATION OF THE METHOD FOR ASSESSING THE TRITIUM RELEASE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE WHEN COOLING WATER IN THE SPRAY PONDS OF THE ROSTOV NPP

А. А. Ekidin, K. L. Antonov, M. Е. Vasyanovich, M. D. Pyshkina, A.F. Merkulov, P.A. Fomenko

In this paper, we substantiate the choice of a model for estimating the tritium release into the atmosphere during water cooling in the spray ponds of the Rostov NPP. The model is based on a fundamental thermodynamic regularity for water to form saturated water vapor
above its surface. An empirical coefficient was confirmed experimentally that relates the intensity of tritium entry into the atmosphere with the activity of tritium in water, the area of spray pools, and the difference in partial pressures of saturated steam at water temperature and air temperature. For the climatic conditions of the Rostov NPP location, the value of the coefficient was 0.32 l/(m2 h hPa). The method and procedure for calculating the release of tritium water from spray ponds into the atmosphere near the Rostov NPP allows you to quickly control the impact on the environment and guarantee the safety of the population. In the case of applying the algorithm for other climatic conditions (other nuclear power plants), it will be necessary to experimentally confirm the value of the empirical coefficient based on field measurements similar to those presented in this paper.

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FORMING PUBLIC OPINION IN THE INTERESTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND RECOGNITION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY AS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY CLEAN ENERGY SOURCE

N. V. Gorin, A. A. Ekidin, V. P. Kuchinov, L. G. Matveeva, V. F. Menshikov

One of the main driving forces behind the development of civilization over the past two or three centuries has been energy based on the combustion of hydrocarbon energy carriers, but at the same time it turned out to be one of the causes of environmental pollution
and, possibly, global warming. In the scientific community, there is an understanding of the need to switch to environmentally friendly nuclear energy with fast neutron reactors and a closed nuclear fuel cycle as the main source of energy, and renewable solar and wind
energy sources that supplement it. Public opinion has not yet formed in favor of such a development, and without the support of the population, which is transforming into the will of politicians, the large-scale use of nuclear energy in the world cannot be achieved. Therefore, the formation of a demanded attitude of the population to the development of nuclear energy, not only in a single country, but in general, becomes relevant. The mechanism of such formation consists in direct and open interaction of nuclear industry specialists with the public, and most importantly in the education and upbringing of students and schoolchildren, i.e. in active work with young people.

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ACCELERATOR MASS-SPECTROMETRY FOR DETECTING ULTRA-LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF VIRAL PARTICLES, LABELLED BY RADIOCARBON

E.A. Prokopyeva, E.V. Parkhomchuk

The study of virus-cell interaction on the example of influenza virus enriched with the 14C isotope allowed us to determine the ultra-low amounts of viral particles in the virus-containing liquid and penetrated into the internal organs of experimentally infected mice. In order to determine the concentrations of influenza A virus, a method using AMS detection has been developed: an EDC linker is introduced into the virus-containing liquid to bind to epitopes on the surface of virions; after incubation, precipitation and washing, urea labelled by 14C is added, which replaced the EDC linker at the sites of binding to the COON groups of epitopes. The labelled viruses are counted using an accelerator mass-spectrometer, which is capable of detecting ultra-low concentrations of labelled virions.

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