Environmental monitoring in the vicinity of the Borssele nuclear power plant. Results 2019 and 2020
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| Author keywords |
nuclear power plant Borssele, environment, radioactivity, contra expertise |
| Abstract |
Regularly, RIVM performs a contra expertise on parts of the measurements that were carried out in the vicinity of the Borssele nuclear power plant (NPP). Various samples taken in 2019 and 2020 were analysed by RIVM. The analytical results indicate that no radiological contamination from the nuclear power plant can be found. In most samples RIVM reports detection limits, a very low amount of natural activity, or in a sand sample a negligible activity of 137Cs. This is a known surface contamination of 137Cs in the Netherlands [8] and originates most likely from the Chernobyl accident. The Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) always carries out the measurements for NPP-Borssele. In 2019, NRG reported a significant gross-bèta activity for one sample (out of 48 samples in total) of suspended solids at sample point 3. The RIVM contra expertise a few months later did not show the same value, but a detection limit. The total analytical procedure of this sample was extensively reviewed by NRG with inconclusive results. In 2020, all gross-bèta data in river Scheldt water and suspended solids were in good agreement. In 2019 and 2020, trace amounts of 54Mn were found in sand, downstream as well as upstream of the NPP. The origin is not quite clear. In 2019, a low amount of tritium is found in water from the river Scheldt. Due to the upstream location of the Doel nuclear power plant in Belgium, the origin of this trace activity of tritium is hard to determine. In 2020, 3H was not determined by both RIVM and NRG. The NPP assigned the NRG to carry out monthly sampling of water, air dust, sediment, seaweed, and yearly sampling of sand. NRG analysed these samples for 3H, gamma-emitters, gross alpha and gross beta activity. |
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