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Assessment of the radiological impact of a decommissioned nuclear power plant in Italy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2012

A. Petraglia ,
C. Sabbarese ,
M. De Cesare ,
N. De Cesare ,
F. Quinto ,
F. Terrasi ,
A. D'onofrio ,
P. Steier ,
L. K. Fifield  and
A. M. Esposito
A. Petraglia
Affiliation:
CIRCE, INNOVA and Department of Environmental ScienceSecond University of Naples, Via Vivaldi, 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
C. Sabbarese
Affiliation:
CIRCE, INNOVA and Department of Life ScienceSecond University of Naples, Via Vivaldi, 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
M. De Cesare
Affiliation:
CIRCE, INNOVA and Department of Environmental ScienceSecond University of Naples, Via Vivaldi, 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
N. De Cesare
Affiliation:
CIRCE, INNOVA and Department of Life ScienceSecond University of Naples, Via Vivaldi, 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
F. Quinto
Affiliation:
CIRCE, INNOVA and Department of Environmental ScienceSecond University of Naples, Via Vivaldi, 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
F. Terrasi
Affiliation:
CIRCE, INNOVA and Department of Environmental ScienceSecond University of Naples, Via Vivaldi, 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
A. D'onofrio
Affiliation:
CIRCE, INNOVA and Department of Environmental ScienceSecond University of Naples, Via Vivaldi, 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy
P. Steier
Affiliation:
Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator (VERA), Fakultät für Physik, Universität Wien, Währinger Strasse 17, A-1090 Wien, Austria
L. K. Fifield
Affiliation:
Department of Nuclear PhysicsResearch School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
A. M. Esposito
Affiliation:
Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari, Garigliano Power Plant, Sessa Aurunca (Ce), Italy
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Abstract

The assessment of the radiological impact of a decommissioned nuclear power plant is presented here through the results of an environmental monitoring survey carried out in the area surrounding the Garigliano Power Plant. The levels of radioactivity in soil, water, air and other environmental matrices are shown, in which α, β and γ activity and the γ equivalent dose rate are measured. Radioactivity levels of the samples from the Garigliano area are analyzed and then compared with those from a control zone situated more than 100 km away. Moreover, a comparison is made with a previous survey carried out in 2001. The analyses and comparisons show no significant alteration in the radiological characteristics of the area surrounding the plant, with the overall radioactivity depending mainly on the global fallout and natural sources.

Keywords

radiological impactnuclear power plantenvironmental monitoringradionuclide
Type
Research Article
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 47 , Issue 2 , April 2012 , pp. 285 - 297
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2012

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