Determination of Cs-137 Concentration in Some Environmental Samples around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Cs-137 was measured in the soil, vegetation, water, milk and meat samples taken from five different settlements around the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site (SNTS) (Kazakhstan). The settlements of Sarzhal, Kainar, Akzhar, Novopokrovka and Karkaraly belong to extreme, very high, very high, high and minimal radiation risk zones, respectively. Radionuclide activities concentrations were determined using a pure Ge gamma-spectrometer (Canberra, USA) and the measured activity levels were not found to exceed the maximum allowable limits 10 Bq/kg for water and 1000 Bq/kg for meat and milk according to the guidelines of World Health Organization. The highest activity concentration levels of Cs-137 were found in soil while the lowest levels were measured in water. Vegetation, milk and meat showed intermediate levels. In soil, the highest values were obtained on samples collected in Sarzhal (35.0±1.0 Bq/kg) and Kainar (23.0±1.0 Bq/kg). Sarzhal also showed the most elevated levels in vegetation (2.2±0.1 Bq/kg), milk (1.8 ± 0.6 Bq/kg) and water (0.05 Bq/kg). Kainar showed the most elevated level in meat (1.8±0.6 Bq/kg).