Occupational exposure at a contemplated Belarussian power plant fired with contaminated biomass

To meet the current demand in Belarus for remediation of the vast forest areas that were contaminated by the Chernobyl accident and at the same time establish a much needed energy production, applying contaminated forest biomass as fuel in special power plants is being considered. This paper focuses on the radiation doses that may be received by workers at such a power plant.

By Monte Carlo modelling based on a Danish biofuel power plant design it was found that the highest dose rates within the power plant would be those to people standing near the fly ash silo, bottom ash containers and so-called 'big bags' filled with fly ash waste. Inhalation doses were estimated to be low.

External doses received while working at the power plant do not appear to be highly significant compared with the doses from environmental contamination in the area where the power plant is expected to be constructed.