Included in the structure of the US Department of Health, the National Health Institute on the eve posted on a specialized portal simultaneously five tenders for research in the field of radioactive dosimetry. Thus, in particular, the US Ministry of Health is interested in the mechanisms of interception and delay of radionuclides by various plants, as well as possible mechanisms for the movement and transportation of radioactive substances in the environment. It should be noted that the description of the tender notes the existence of similar studies that were conducted earlier on the basis of analysis of nuclear test data both in the United States itself and in Russia – but US state agencies lack “a broader picture of mass radioactive contamination and related measurements” .
American officials in the tender documentation also emphasize that, based on the results of ordered studies, taking into account primarily American and Russian experience, an integrated system for monitoring radioactive fallout should be developed, which is then proposed to be evaluated by the relevant academic community and published in specialized scientific journals.
If to speak about the specifics, then in the zone of interest of the US Ministry of Health there are mechanisms for the spread of radionuclides for large-scale contamination of the terrain, its impact on the environment and the population. Of particular interest are data from the period 1950-1960-ies, when large-scale nuclear tests were carried out in the Soviet Union, in particular, in the territory of present-day Kazakhstan, at the Semipalatinsk test site. It is noteworthy that as a contractor for one of the contracts of the US Department of Health to study the mechanisms of measuring radioactivity, the Russian state institution is indicated.
This is the Federal Medical Biophysical Center named after Burnazian FMBA of Russia. In the specific conditions of the contract, it is for the Burnazyan center on the US Government tenders portal that, firstly, the calculation of parameters for the effects of radionuclides on the skin and lens of the eye, and secondly, that the contractor should develop a set of recommendations for measuring these parameters immediately after the moment of deposition radioactive fallout. The contractor should also participate in the preparation of publications on methods for measuring internal and external radiation doses, as well as provide detailed comments on the mechanisms of movement and transport of radionuclides in the environment – including water, animals and plants.
As for the tender tasks, which are painted on other contractors (mostly represented by American companies), very specific issues of measuring radioactivity in atmospheric nuclear tests are also placed there. In particular, the US Ministry of Health wants to know about the mechanisms of fractionation of “radionically important nuclides” – strontium-90, zirconium-95, iodine-131, cesium-137 and barium-140 – in atomic explosions in the atmosphere, nuclear charge, power and type. Also, the contractor should develop recommendations on the effects of radiation on humans in various types of shelters – be it urban development, rural areas, etc., under different weather conditions and even depending on the lifestyle of the population.
As one of the main parameters of the work, an analysis of Russian publications on this topic is being carried out, and also the experience of research in the former Soviet Union is being studied. Center Burnazyan in this sense is quite a specific platform for research orders, as the information posted on his website, it follows that the organization since Soviet times is a specialized Russian scientific center on radiology and the study of ionizing radiation. The site of the scientific center indicates that it conducts an active international activity, interacts with the IAEA, UN specialized structures, major European universities. At the request of Life about the sources of data for the preparation of publications, reports and recommendations within the US state contract, the center could not provide a prompt comment.
It should be noted at the same time that the sharp activation of the North Korean nuclear program and recent tests, according to the DPRK authorities, the thermonuclear device, pose a significant threat to the United States, since, together with the explosive evolution in the development of delivery vehicles, North Korea has the potential to deliver nuclear weapons directly to the American territory.
And we are not talking about the threat of a strike against one of the largest US naval bases in the Pacific Ocean on the island of Guam, where the North Korean “Hwaseon-12” is guaranteed to reach. In accordance with all the stated tactical and technical data, the DPRK has the opportunity to strike directly on the continental territory of the United States, which radically changes the entire strategic alignment in the region. Experts, of course, note the total perniciousness of such a scenario primarily for the North Korean regime itself, as well as the ability of the US missile defense system to intercept single ballistic missiles.
At the same time, a strengthened study of the Russian experience in nuclear dosimetry and the development of a methodology for assessing the effects of radiation on humans, including in the long term, suggests that the American authorities are preparing to some extent hypothetical at the moment, but not less dangers of nuclear confrontation. In general, given the growing chaos of international relations and the spread of armed conflicts all over the world, knowledge of effective methods for measuring radiation exposure is becoming a necessary component of national security – and judging by the contracts of US state structures, the current sanctions confrontation does not prevent them from working with the profile Russian scientific centers.
