Improving the system of radiation and hygienic monitoring of environmental objects in the areas of observation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants as a fundamental of radiation safety

The relevance of the work is determined by the absence of documents on the problems of observation zones of nuclear power plants, including the organization and monitoring of environmental objects in Ukraine. The purpose of the study was to assess the state of radioactive contamination of the environmental objects of the observation zone of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. To accomplish the tasks, we analyzed the data of the laboratory control performed by the external radiation monitoring laboratory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the data of the State Institution «Zaporizhzhia Regional Laboratory Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine». The obtained results allow us to draw the conclusions that in the environmental objects (water of the Kakhovsky reservoir, atmospheric air, soil, drinking water) of the observation zone of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the main dose-forming radionuclides were identified. It is established that their levels are not uniform, and the identified instability indicates the need for continuous laboratory monitoring of the content of cesium and strontium and the need to monitor the impact on health of the residents of the observation area. It is necessary to improve radiation monitoring through the development and implementation of new methodological documents and regulations on the organization of laboratory control, justification of its frequency and the required amount of laboratory research, which will allow to establish the true impact on public health in these areas.