Radionuclide transport in the "sediments - water - plants" system of the water bodies at the Semipalatinsk test site.

This paper provides research data on levels and character of radionuclide contamination distribution in the «sediments- water - plants » system of objects of the Semipalatinsk test site (STS). As the research objects there were chosen water bodies of man-made origin which located at the territory of "Experimental Field", "Balapan", "Telkem" and "Sary-Uzen" testing sites. For research the sampling of bottom sediments, water, lakeside and water plants was taken. Collected samples were used to determine concentration of anthropogenic radionuclides 90 Sr, 239+240 Pu, 241 Am, 137 Cs. The distribution coefficient (Kd ) was calculated as the ratio of the content of radionuclides in the sediments to the content in water, and the concentration ratio (FV ) was calculated as the ratio of radionuclide content in plants to the content in sediments or soil.