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Specialists Discussed State and Future of Chornobyl NPP Cooling Pond

  The Workshop on ecological consequences of Chornobyl NPP cooling pond decommissioning was held on July 2-3, 2019 at the initiative of Chornobyl NPP and Institute of Hydrobiology of the NAS of Ukraine with the participation of the IAEA. Specialists of the Institute for Safety Problems of NPP of the NAS of Ukraine and other scientific institutions participated in the Workshop. The necessity of conducting the Workshop was caused by the need of taking the considered decision on the future of big territory of hydrotechnical structure, which underwent fundamental ecological changes after decommissioning. Most of scientists believe that active processes of hydrological conditions changes in former sites of cooling pond have been completed which means that levels of water in remaining ponds are stable. Drained sites of pond bed are transforming into inundated ecosystems with types of phytocenosis, which are differentiated according to the level of groundwater.

  Radical change of ecosystems and processes that happens with life forms, bed silts, radioactive substances in new ponds is very uncommon and that’s why this object is extremely valuable for obtaining scientific information. That is why past five years the territory of ChNPP cooling pond became the most attractive for scientists.

  During the Workshop scientists were acquainted with results of researches of ChNPP cooling pond, conducted by the ISP NPP scientists. Serhii Paskevych, Head of the Department of the ISP NPP, presented his report “Phytocenological and radioecological characteristics of the vegetation communities on the drained territory of the ChNPP’s cooling pond”, where peculiarities of revegetation at drained sites of ChNPP cooling pond bed were shown. Main types of vegetation, which were formed at different types of slits of cooling pond bed were found during the research. Studies of peculiarities of accumulation of cesium-137 and strontium 90 in biomass of vegetation were conducted. The researches gave the possibility to receive information on levels of involvement of radionuclides in biological cycle and as a result to define communities with the highest levels of radioactive contamination. The information has significant value for assessment of potentially hazardous sites, which will have the biggest impact on adjustment territories in case of possibility of emergence natural phenomenon (fire, tornados etc.).

  Specialists of the ISP NPP also presented results of approbation of technology of air sowing of drained bed sites to stimulate fast overgrowing of radioactively contaminated areas and prevent wind erosion. The technology was tested in spring 2019 at cooling pond. Photos of effectiveness of application of specially prepared seed substrates and appropriate regrowth of plants in places of its application were demonstrated to the participants of the workshop.

   During the discussion specialists reached the conclusion that after stabilization of water levels in residual ponds at the ChNPP cooling pond monitoring of the state of hydro ecosystems, newly formed lands as well as study of radionuclide contamination of all elements of ecosystems must be continued.

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