RADIOCARBON TRACE OF THE BILIBINO NPP

The study is aimed at assessing the accumulation of 14C in tree vegetation from Bilibino NPP emissions over the entire operating period. The researchers carried out 14C measurements using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The methodological approach used in the study allows tracing the dynamics of 14C accumulation in larch tree rings over the period from 1974 to 2022. The results range from 233.91±1.16 to 315.7±1.75 Bq/kg C. The largest contribution of Bilibino NPP emissions to the 14C content was 13.9±1.2 Bq/kg C, which was found in tree rings formed in 2020. In the considered sector of the predominant wind direction, 4.2±0.6 MBq of 14C have accumulated over 48 years of operation of the EGP-6 reactor units, which amounts to no more than 3.56×10–6% of the total 14C emissions from the Bilibino NPP during this period. Considering the operation completion of the EGP-6 power units, these unique results can be used as a safety indicator during all stages of the Bilibino NPP decommissioning.

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