Radiological Conditions at the Former French Nuclear Test Sites in Algeria
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RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORTS SERIES Radiological Conditions at the Former French Nuclear Test Sites in Algeria: Preliminary Assessment and Recommendations The cover photograph shows the area at Taourirt Tan Afella where nuclear explosions were performed from 1961 to 1966. IAEA SAFETY RELATED PUBLICATIONS IAEA SAFETY STANDARDS Under the terms of Article III of its Statute, the IAEA is authorized to establish or adopt standards of safety for protection of health and minimization of danger to life and property, and to provide for the application of these standards. The publications by means of which the IAEA establishes standards are issued in the IAEA Safety Standards Series. This series covers nuclear safety, radiation safety, transport safety and waste safety, and also general safety (i.e. all these areas of safety). The publication categories in the series are Safety Fundamentals, Safety Requirements and Safety Guides. 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Information may be provided via the IAEA Internet site or by post, as above, or by e-mail to [email protected]. OTHER SAFETY RELATED PUBLICATIONS The IAEA provides for the application of the standards and, under the terms of Articles III and VIII.C of its Statute, makes available and fosters the exchange of information relating to peaceful nuclear activities and serves as an intermediary among its Member States for this purpose. Reports on safety and protection in nuclear activities are issued in other publications series, in particular the Safety Reports Series. Safety Reports provide practical examples and detailed methods that can be used in support of the safety standards. Other IAEA series of safety related publications are the Provision for the Application of Safety Standards Series, the Radiological Assessment Reports Series and the International Nuclear Safety Group’s INSAG Series. The IAEA also issues reports on radiological accidents and other special publications. 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RADIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT THE FORMER FRENCH NUCLEAR TEST SITES IN ALGERIA: PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS The following States are Members of the International Atomic Energy Agency: AFGHANISTAN GREECE PARAGUAY ALBANIA GUATEMALA PERU ALGERIA HAITI PHILIPPINES ANGOLA HOLY SEE POLAND ARGENTINA HONDURAS PORTUGAL HUNGARY ARMENIA QATAR ICELAND AUSTRALIA REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA AUSTRIA INDIA INDONESIA ROMANIA AZERBAIJAN RUSSIAN FEDERATION BANGLADESH IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAQ SAUDI ARABIA BELARUS IRELAND SENEGAL BELGIUM ISRAEL SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO BENIN ITALY SEYCHELLES BOLIVIA JAMAICA SIERRA LEONE BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA JAPAN BOTSWANA SINGAPORE JORDAN SLOVAKIA BRAZIL KAZAKHSTAN SLOVENIA BULGARIA KENYA SOUTH AFRICA BURKINA FASO KOREA, REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON KUWAIT SPAIN CANADA KYRGYZSTAN SRI LANKA CENTRAL AFRICAN LATVIA SUDAN REPUBLIC LEBANON SWEDEN CHILE LIBERIA SWITZERLAND CHINA LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC COLOMBIA LIECHTENSTEIN TAJIKISTAN COSTA RICA LITHUANIA THAILAND CÔTE D’IVOIRE LUXEMBOURG THE FORMER YUGOSLAV CROATIA MADAGASCAR REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA MALAYSIA CUBA TUNISIA MALI CYPRUS TURKEY MALTA CZECH REPUBLIC UGANDA DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC MARSHALL ISLANDS MAURITANIA UKRAINE OF THE CONGO MAURITIUS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES DENMARK MEXICO UNITED KINGDOM OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MONACO GREAT BRITAIN AND ECUADOR MONGOLIA NORTHERN IRELAND EGYPT MOROCCO UNITED REPUBLIC EL SALVADOR MYANMAR ERITREA OF TANZANIA NAMIBIA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ESTONIA NETHERLANDS URUGUAY ETHIOPIA NEW ZEALAND UZBEKISTAN FINLAND NICARAGUA FRANCE NIGER VENEZUELA GABON NIGERIA VIETNAM GEORGIA NORWAY YEMEN GERMANY PAKISTAN ZAMBIA GHANA PANAMA ZIMBABWE The Agency’s Statute was approved on 23 October 1956 by the Conference on the Statute of the IAEA held at United Nations Headquarters, New York; it entered into force on 29 July 1957. The Headquarters of the Agency are situated in Vienna. Its principal objective is “to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world’’. © IAEA, 2005 Permission to reproduce or translate the information contained in this publication may be obtained by writing to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. Printed by the IAEA in Austria March 2005 STI/PUB/1215 RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORTS SERIES RADIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT THE FORMER FRENCH NUCLEAR TEST SITES IN ALGERIA: PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA, 2005 IAEA Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Radiological conditions at the former French nuclear test sites in Algeria : preliminary assessment and recommendations. — Vienna : International Atomic Energy Agency, 2005. p. ; 29 cm. — (Radiological assessment reports series, ISSN 1020-6566) STI/PUB/1215 ISBN 92–0–113304–9 Includes bibliographical references. 1. Radiation — Algeria — Safety measures. 2. Nuclear weapons — Algeria — Testing. 3. Radioactive pollution — Algeria. 4. Algeria — Environmental conditions. I. International Atomic Energy Agency. II. Series. IAEAL 05–00392 EDITORIAL NOTE Although great care has been taken to maintain the accuracy of information contained in this publication, neither the IAEA nor its Member States assume any responsibility for consequences which may arise from its use. The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgement by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries. The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA. FOREWORD There are various locations around the world that have been affected by radioactive residues. Some of these residues are the result of past peaceful activities, while others result from military activities, including residues from the testing of nuclear weapons. Stimulated by concern about the state of the environment, movement away from military nuclear activities and improved opportunities for international cooperation, attention in many countries has turned to assessing and, where necessary, remediating areas affected by radioactive residues. Some of these residues are located in countries where there is a lack of the infrastructure or expertise necessary for evaluating the significance of the radiation risks posed by the residues and for making decisions on remediation. In such cases, governments have felt it necessary to obtain outside assistance. In other cases, it has been considered socially and politically necessary to have independent expert opinions on the radiological situation at the sites. As a result, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been requested by the governments of a number of Member States to provide assistance in relation to its statutory obligation “to establish…standards of safety for protection of health…and to provide for the application of these standards…at the request of a State”. On 22 September 1995, a resolution of the General Conference of the IAEA called on all States “to fulfil their responsibilities to ensure that sites where nuclear tests have been conducted are monitored scrupulously and to take appropriate steps to avoid adverse impacts on health, safety and the environment as a consequence of such nuclear testing”. Representatives of the Algerian Government requested the IAEA to carry out a study of the radiological situation at the former French nuclear test sites in Algeria. The findings of this assessment are summarized in this report. BLANK PAGE CONTENTS SUMMARY . 1 1. TEST SITES . 3 2. BACKGROUND ON THE NUCLEAR TESTING PROGRAMME IN ALGERIA. 5 2.1. Historical information . 5 2.2. Pre-survey estimation of the current radiological situation . 5 2.2.1. Gerboise atmospheric tests . 5 2.2.2. Underground tests . 11 2.2.2.1. Béryl test . 13 2.2.2.2. Améthyste test . 15 2.2.3. Experiments with plutonium pellets . 15 2.2.4. Pollen experiments . 16 3. IAEA MISSION . 17 3.1. Mission team . 17 3.2. Mission itinerary . 17 4. SAMPLING AND MEASUREMENT PROGRAMME . 19 4.1. Introduction . 19 4.1.1. Reggane . 19 4.1.2. In Ekker (Taourirt Tan Afella and Adrar Tikertine) . 19 4.2. Field measurements