Abstract
The article examines radiation pollution of the environment in the context of its socio-ecological consequences, which is one of the important problems of the XXI century. Today, the use of radioactive technologies that can harm the environment is particularly visible in medicine: single-use medical equipment sterilized by intense radiation has taken a prominent place in the fight against the spread of infectious diseases, and the diagnostic use of X-rays and radioactive isotopes tends to double approximately every 10 years. Radiation is widely used to preserve food products and reduce their losses, and sterilization methods are used to destroy insects and disease-carrying pests. Industrial radiography is used to check the quality of welds and detect cracks, and also helps prevent the destruction of engineering structures. In our country, the problems of radioactive emissions and radioactive pollution of the environment were «closed» for many years. They were engaged in by an extremely limited circle of specialists, and therefore many of the terms used were not introduced into wide scientific circulation. Therefore, before proceeding to the development of any preventive principles that guarantee the provision of radiation safety, it is advisable to conceptualize a system of the most frequently used concepts that carry a certain share of social burden. Such concepts should include the concepts of radiation safety, radiation pollution, areas of radiation pollution, exposure, collective and effective radiation dose, radiation dose rate, remote consequences of radiation, etc. It is known that the impact on the environment arising from this various non-specific, i.e. anthropogenic activity not directly related to atomic production, and taking into account the large number of people affected by this effect, makes a significant contribution to the collective dose of the Earth’s population. At the same time, it is quite difficult to determine which specific radioactive effect is given by specific, i.e. directly with radioactive production, sources of radiation. Issues of safe handling of radioactive waste, medical consequences of radiation exposure, radiation safety of the population, territories contaminated as a result of accidents at radiation-hazardous facilities are still poorly studied. Socio-political aspects of radiation safety management also remain undeveloped
Keywords
radiation; radiation pollution; ecology; socio-ecological consequences; radiation; exposure
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