55-b Honchar St., 01054, Kyiv, Ukraine

Phone: (044) 216 8272; fax: (044) 216 1417;
e-mail: VSH@hydrosafe.kiev.ua;
http://www.ukrnet.net/~hydro.htm

Scientific-Engineering Center for Radiological, Hydrogeological, Environmental and Ecological Studies was founded in 1991 as an organization under NAS Presidium to address urgent environmental problems (especially Chernobyl-related ones) of radionuclide contamination and migration in the geosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.

Current research activities of the Center cover:

– mapping of radioactive contamination of territories;

– studying the vertical migration of radionuclides in aeration zone, subsurface waters and deep aquifers;

– studying the chemical composition and radionuclide content of natural waters;

– studying moisture dynamics in aeration zone;

– integrated studies and mapping of the Chornobyl 30-km exclusion zone;

– assessing the risk of contamination of ground waters used for potable- water supply;

– studying hydrogeological aspects of radioactive waste handling and disposal;

– studying the levels and structure of population morbidity vs. the state of the environment.

The achievements of the international level include:

Identifying zones in geological media with abnormally fast migration of moisture and contaminants, which are associated with tectonic rifts and some structures of water sinks; integrated studies of Ukrainian territories affected by radioactive contamination, including investigations of the geosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere alongside with population morbidity. They permit identification of major factors determining human health in contaminated areas; development of mathematical models of hydrogeological systems for some groundwater intakes used for supplying potable water. The models are to be used for improving water supply of Ukrainian cities and towns.

The Center proposes for commercialization:

analytical works:

– determination of radionuclide content in soil and water samples;

– determination of the chemical composition of natural water samples;

mapping:

– various field measurements and area surveys (geological, hydrological, landscape-geochemical etc.);

– map drawing (including computer mapping and plotting);

mathematical modeling:

– computer simulations of water and contaminant flows in geological media, using novel software developed in the Center.