PROCUREMENT AND USE OF FIREWOOD IN RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION ZONES
As a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a significant part of the forest fund of the Republic of Belarus was exposed to radioactive contamination, which necessitated a complex of protective measures, including procurement and processing of firewood. Use of radioactively contaminated wood, incl. firewood, is economically reasonable, provided that competitive products are obtained that meet both consumer's and radiation safety requirements. Based on the radiation safety audit results of the forestry territory of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus, it was established that the largest areas of radioactive contamination were recorded in the forestry of the Gomel and Mogilev State Production Forestry Associations: 826.3 thousand ha (45.45%) and 411.9 thousand ha (33.96%) respectively. In 2015, in the Gomel and M1o3g7ilev State Production Forestry Associations3 firewood procurement with the average content of Cs of 200 Bq/kg was 1,211.07 thousand m3, 200-740 Bq/kg -198.74 thousand m3, more than 740 Bq/kg - 36.22 thousand m3 out of the total volume of harvested firewood amounted to 1,446.03 thousand m3. Firewood with the average content of 137Cs of up to 200 Bq/kg can be used on power plants of more than 0.1 MW, with the average content of 200-740 Bq/kg - at power plants up to 0.1 MW and individual households. Use of firewood with a pollution level of more than 740 Bq/kg is not allowed. Wood with a pollution level of up to 1,480 Bq/kg is allowed to be used as a wood raw material.