Fate and health implications of the radioactive ultrafine aerosols in the air

Abstract

Abstract Fine and ultra fine particles with attached radioactive ions, often highly toxic and carcinogenic, can cause serious acute and chronic health issues. Due to environmental significance of nanoparticles associated with radioactive isotopes of natural or artificial origin and the worldwide health risk they pose, this article presents how they are transported into the troposphere. This study evaluates the public health impact of radionuclides released during radiological accidents, focusing on inhalation doses in contaminated regions from three cases: Chernobyl (1986), Fukushima (2011), and ruthenium-103/106 emissions (2017). It highlights the critical role of aerosol particle size and atmospheric residence time in health risk assessment and crisis decision-making. This information is crucial in the context of crisis management, evacuation planning, and future intervention actions, for radiation protection of the public. Knowledge about the fate of radionuclides, their concentration, and the dynamics of their washout from the atmosphere is particularly useful during rescue operations for responders working in the direct exposure region.