This paper presents the determination method of the exact geographical coordinates of aboveground nuclear tests (NT) epicenters based on the radioecological study results the example of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site. By testing the NT Epicenter software for determining the exact geographic coordinates of the NT centers, it was established that it is indeed possible to determine the exact coordinates of most of the aboveground NTs. Their locations are currently determined by the presence are currently determined by the presence of technogenic disturbance of the soil surface in the area of the alleged epicenter (the presence of a crater), as well as by comparing maps of radioactive contamination and a space image. The accuracy of the precise coordinates of the NT is highly dependent on the density of the auxiliary grid: the smaller the pitch of the auxiliary grid, the higher the accuracy of the NT epicenter.

Climate change poses an immediate threat to tropical soils with changes in rainfall patterns resulting in accelerated land degradation processes. To ensure the future sustainability of arable land, it is essential to improve our understanding of the factors that influence soil erosion processes. This work aimed to evaluate patterns of soil erosion using the activity of plutonium isotopes (Pu) at sites with different land use and clearance scale in the Winam Gulf catchment of Lake Victoria in Kenya. Erosion rates were modelled at potential erosive sites using the MODERN model to understand small-scale erosion processes and the effect of different management practices. The lowest soil redistribution rates for arable land were 0.10 Mg ha-1 yr-1 showing overall deposition, resulting from community-led bottom-up mitigation practices. In contrast erosion rates of 8.93 Mg ha-1 yr-1 were found in areas where steep terraces have been formed. This demonstrates the significance of community-led participation in effectively managing land degradation processes. Another key factor identified in the acceleration of soil erosion rates was the clearance of land with an increased rate of erosion over three years reported (0.45 to 0.82 Mg ha-1 yr-1) underlining the importance vegetation cover plays in limiting soil erosion processes. This novel application of fallout plutonium as a tracer, highlights its potential to inform the understanding of how soil erosion processes respond to land management, which will better support implementation of effective mitigation strategies.

The first verification of a tool developed to improve the work of controlling bodies, managers and employees of underground facilities subject to radiation protection requirements was conducted. The recommended values of correction factors were verified using archival results of measurements conducted for the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź in seven underground workplaces in Poland over exposure periods of a month (10,8678 data) and a quarter of a year (53,688 data). In a cave two groups of monthly factors, produced estimates with almost 70% to 99% consistency with the measured values. Along tourist routes located in mines, a similar fit was obtained using three groups of correction factors for measurement results from March, June and July. In the extraction areas of active underground mines, the best fit was produced by factors calculated as averages for spaces varying in the degree of insulation and ventilation method, while in other departments of mining plants, by correction factors recommended for facilities equipped with mechanical ventilation systems. All the quarterly correction factors produced the best fit between estimated mean annual concentrations and measurement results obtained in the second quarter of the calendar year. A wide variation in result consistency (from 20-30 to 65-80%) obtained for two underground tourist routes in the fourth quarter of the year demonstrates that it is best not to adopt results from this measurement period (October-December) for estimating mean annual radon concentration using the set of quarterly correction factors.

The invasion of Ukraine and military operations around Ukrainian nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities have prompted us to search for radiocaesium in mosses from the Kopački Rit Nature Park in Croatia, since mosses are known bioindicators of airborne radioactive pollution, and Kopački Rit is a known low radiocaesium background area. Sampling was finished in August 2023, and our analysis found no elevated radiocaesium levels. Kopački Rit therefore remains a suitable place for future detection of anthropogenic radioactive pollutants.
Invazija na Ukrajinu i vojne operacije oko ukrajinskih nuklearnih elektrana i drugih nuklearnih postrojenja potaknule su nas da potražimo radiocezij u mahovinama u Parku prirode Kopački rit, jer su mahovine poznati bioindikatori radioaktivnog onečišćenja zraka, a Kopački je rit poznat po niskoj razini onečišćenja radiocezijem. Uzorkovanje je završeno u kolovozu 2023. Naša analiza nije otkrila povišene razine radiocezija. Kopački rit stoga ostaje pogodno mjesto za buduću detekciju antropogenog radioaktivnog onečišćenja.

This paper presents research on the assessment of the radioecological state of plant cover surrounding two research reactor facilities located within the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS) as examples of nuclear fuel cycle facilities (NFC). Source data on the concentrations of artificial radionuclides in the plant cover were obtained. Quantitative values for 137Cs, 241Am, and 239+240Pu activity concentrations were determined in plants across the perimeters of the facilities, indicating that these compounds may be present in the associated media from the perspective of accumulative bioindication. The values determined for artificial radionuclides in the \'soil‒plant\' system around the researched NFC facilities were attributed to radioactive contamination of the STS territory.

Decades of radiation monitoring data were analyzed to estimate outdoor Radon Dose Rates (RnDRs) and evaluate climate change impacts in Canada\'s Arctic Regions (Resolute and Yellowknife). This study shows that the RnDR involves dynamic sources and complex environmental factors and processes. Its seasonality and long-term trends are significantly impacted by temperatures and soil-and-above water contents. From 2005 to 2022, Yellowknife\'s RnDR increased by +0.35 ± 0.06 nGy/h per decade, with the fastest increases occurring in cold months (October to March). The rise is largely attributable to water condition changes over time in these months, which also caused enhanced soil gas emissions and likely higher indoor radon concentrations. In Resolute, the RnDR increased between 2013 and 2022 at +0.62 ± 0.19 nGy/h (or 16% relatively) per decade in summer months, with a positive temperature relationship of +0.12 nGy/h per °C. This work also demonstrates the relevance of local climate and terrain features (e.g., typical active layer depth, precipitation amount/pattern, and ground vegetation cover) in researching climate change implications. Such research can also benefit from using supporting monitoring data, which prove effective and scientifically significant. From the perspective of external exposure to outdoor radon, the observed climate change effects pose a low health risk.

UNASSIGNED: Although data on outdoor gamma radiation are available for many countries, they have generally been obtained with measurements performed in undisturbed environments instead of in urban areas where most of the population lives. Only one large national survey, with on-site measurements in urban areas, has been identified worldwide, probably due to high costs (e.g., personnel and instrumentation) and difficulties in selecting measuring points.
UNASSIGNED: A campaign of outdoor gamma radiation measurements has been carried out in the entire Italian territory. All measurement points were selected at the infrastructures of an Italian telecommunications company as representatives of all the possible situations of outdoor exposure to gamma radiation for population in urban areas. Ten replicates of portable gamma (X) detectors carried out all the measurements.
UNASSIGNED: Approximately 4,000 measurements have been performed. They are distributed across 2,901 Italian municipalities, accounting for 75% of the Italian population. The national population-weighted mean of the gamma ambient dose equivalent rate (ADER) is 117 nSv h-1, and it ranges from 62 to 208 nSv h-1 and from 40 to 227 nSv h-1 for 21 regions and 107 provinces, respectively. The average variability at the municipal level, in terms of the coefficient of variation (CV) is 21%, ranging from 3 to 84%. The impact of land coverage and the distance from a building on the outdoor gamma radiation level was assessed with complementary measurements, leading to differences ranging from -40 to 50% and to 50%, respectively.
UNASSIGNED: A representative campaign of outdoor gamma dose rate measurements has been performed in Italy, only in urban areas, to assess the exposure effect due to outdoor gamma radiation on the population. It is the largest national campaign in urban areas worldwide, with a total of 3,876 on-site measurements. The land coverage and the distance from surrounding buildings were recognized to strongly affect outdoor gamma radiation levels, leading to high variability within small areas. The collaboration with a company that owns a network of facilities on a national territory as dense as the residing population made this survey feasible and affordable. Other countries might adopt this methodology to conduct national surveys in urban environments.

Labuan, Miri, Kundasang and Raub regions of Malaysia have very different geological formations and settings that could result in different levels of natural radioactivity. Hence, this study determines the influence of different geological formations on radioactivity in these locations using field measurements, petrology and geochemistry. A total of 141 gamma dose rates and 227 beta flux measurements were collected using Polimaster survey meters (PM1405) in these four regions. The gamma dose rate values range from 0.37 to 0.05 µSv/h with a mean value of 0.11 µSv/h. Beta flux values range from 3.46 to 0.12 CPS with a mean value of 0.57 CPS. Mineralogy and elemental composition of the different rock types were analysed using thin-section petrography, XRD, ICP and pXRF methods. Felsic igneous rocks such as syenite and granite have higher natural radioactivity and contain more radionuclide-bearing minerals such as apatite, zircon, allanite, K-feldspar, titanite, muscovite and biotite. Metamorphic rocks have the second highest natural radioactivity and contain fewer radioactive minerals. The natural radioactivity of sedimentary rocks mostly depends on their clay content. The gamma dose rate maps show that igneous and metamorphic regions around Raub have higher radioactivity compared to the sedimentary-dominated regions around Miri and Labuan. Annual effective dose (AED) and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were calculated to evaluate the potential health risk for inhabitants of these regions. Labuan and Miri are considered to be safe zones with respect to natural radioactivity as the results show little to no risk for the public, compared with the Raub region, which is medium to high risk.

UNASSIGNED: Model prediction of radioactivity levels around nuclear facilities is a useful tool for assessing human health risks and environmental impacts. We aim to develop a model for forecasting radioactivity levels in the environment and food around the world\'s first AP 1000 nuclear power unit.
UNASSIGNED: In this work, we report a pilot study using time-series radioactivity monitoring data to establish Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models for predicting radioactivity levels. The models were screened by Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and the model accuracy was evaluated by mean absolute percentage error (MAPE).
UNASSIGNED: The optimal models, ARIMA (0, 0, 0) × (0, 1, 1)4, and ARIMA (4, 0, 1) were used to predict activity concentrations of 90Sr in food and cumulative ambient dose (CAD), respectively. From the first quarter (Q1) to the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023, the predicted values of 90Sr in food and CAD were 0.067-0.77 Bq/kg, and 0.055-0.133 mSv, respectively. The model prediction results were in good agreement with the observation values, with MAPEs of 21.4 and 22.4%, respectively. From Q1 to Q4 of 2024, the predicted values of 90Sr in food and CAD were 0.067-0.77 Bq/kg and 0.067-0.129 mSv, respectively, which were comparable to values reported elsewhere.
UNASSIGNED: The ARIMA models developed in this study showed good short-term predictability, and can be used for dynamic analysis and prediction of radioactivity levels in environment and food around Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant.

Radon is a naturally occurring noble radioactive gas that poses significant health risks, particularly lung cancer, due to its colorless, odorless, and tasteless nature, which makes detection challenging without formal testing. It is found in soil, rock, and water, and it infiltrates indoor environments, necessitating regulatory standards and guidelines from organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, and the Occupational Health and Safety Agency to mitigate exposure. In this paper, we present various methods and instruments for radon assessment in occupational and environmental settings. Discussion on long- and short-term monitoring, including grab sampling, radon dosimetry, and continuous real-time monitoring, is provided. The comparative analysis of detection techniques-active versus passive-is highlighted from real-time data and long-term exposure assessment, including advances in sensor technology, data processing, and public awareness, to improve radon exposure evaluation techniques.