STUDIES ON THE AEROSOL RADIOACTIVITY LEVEL AND AIR QUALITY AROUND NUCLEAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE AREA

The paper presents studies on the evolution of the aerosol radioactivity level due to the nuclear research activities performed by the Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, IFIN-HH, during the period 2007-2014. The radiometric method was used to determine the radiation activity concentration from the aerosol samples. The measurements were performed as follows the gross beta activity measured after 3 minutes, 20 hours and 5 days from the sample collection, using a high sensitivity gross alpha-beta activity system and the gross gamma activity measured after 5 days of sampling using a gamma measurement system. The maximum mean values of the radioactivity concentration regarding the years from studied period were 3.78 +/- 2.22 Bq m(-3), 0.19 +/- 0.11 Bq m(-3) and 0.013 +/- 0.006 Bq m(-3) at 3 minutes, 20 hours and 5 days respectively, from the sample collection for gross beta. The values obtained by gross gamma and gamma spectrometry ray were below the detection limit of the systems of measurements. The artificial radionuclide content in the aerosols samples around IFIN-HH for the studied period is situated within the range of aerosols radiation concentration recorded in other Romanian areas where there are no nuclear activities.