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The paper presents the results of a comprehensive analysis of bottom sediment samples taken in 2020 during the Roshydromet marine scientific research in Stepovoi and Litke bays of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and in the coastal zone of the Kara Sea near Amderma village. All sediment samples were analyzed for the concentration of radionuclides 137Cs, 90Sr, 238Pu, 239 + 240Pu, and some samples were analyzed for the content of toxic chemicals: heavy metals, persistent organochlorine compounds, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. The analysis of the results showed that the levels of radionuclides and toxic chemicals in bottom sediments of Stepovoi Bay are generally consistent with the data of similar surveys in previous years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of analysis of the content of benzo(a)pyrene and other high-molecular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in atmospheric air samples collected in 2018 in industrial cities of the Krasnoyarsk region at the state monitoring network of Roshydromet are presented. The PAH measurements were performed by the high-performance liquid chromatography method, using a fluorometric detector. The monthly average concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene in the atmospheric air exceeded 10 MPC in the cities of Minusinsk, Lesosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Achinsk. The maximum monthly average content of benzo(a)pyrene during the observation period in 2018 was found in Minusinsk (January, 90 MPC) and Lesosibirsk (January, 59 MPC). The main reasons for the increased levels of air pollution with PAH are investigated. Seasonal variability in the content of benzo(a)pyrene and other PAH in the atmospheric air of the Krasnoyarsk region cities with a maximum in winter and a minimum in summer is shown. The annual average concentration of benzo(a)pyrene in the atmospheric air in 2018 decreased in the following series: Minusinsk (17.2 ng/m3), Lesosibirsk (12.4 ng/m3), Krasnoyarsk (6.5 ng/m3), Achinsk (3.6 ng/m3), and Norilsk (0.6 ng/m3). A similar decreasing concentration trend in this series of cities is typical for other PAH. The level of air pollution with benzo(a)pyrene in the cities of Minusinsk, Lesosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk in 2018 is characterized as "very high." The pyrogenic nature of PAH in the atmosphere of the surveyed cities of the Krasnoyarsk region is shown using molecular ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiation conditions in Moscow and the Moscow region are assessed using observations at the Roshydromet radiation monitoring network. The paper presents the dynamics of the radiation background caused by technogenic radionuclides in the environment, starting from the period of nuclear tests in the atmosphere to the present. A comparative analysis is provided for the radiation characteristics in Moscow and the Moscow region, in different regions of the center of European Russia, and in the background areas during the period of the most significant radiation events in the recent decades: the accidents at Chernobyl in 1986, Fukushima in 2011, and an incident in Elektrostal in 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emissions from Russian NPP in 2011–2017, which, on the whole, taking the specifics of nuclear reactors into consideration, correspond to the global emissions, are analyzed. The public irradiation dose due to NPP emissions is estimated to be 0.01–0.1% of the dose due to natural background radiation. It is shown that the location of fixed stations for monitoring the radioactivity of the surface air layer and atmospheric fallout near NPP meets the requirements of Russian regulatory documents and IAEA recommendations. The volume activity of 137Cs, 60Co, and other technogenic radionuclides in the surface air layer in the NPP observation zones are 104–108 times lower than the volumetric activity admissible for the public. To improve the monitoring of the radiation conditions, the 14C and 3H present in the emissions from NPP must be monitored, and collection of atmospheric fallout at fixed observation stations near NPP must be more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]