Fate and health implications of the radioactive ultrafine aerosols in the air.

Fine and ultra fine particles with attached radioactive ions, often highly toxic and carcinogenic, can cause serious health issues. Radioactive internal contaminations can pose acute and chronic health problems. Due to environmental significance of nanoparticles associated with radioactive isotopes natural or artificial origin, this article presents its transport in the troposphere, as worldwide pollution and the health risk these particles can pose. This study evaluates the public health impact of radioactive isotopes released during radiological accidents, focusing on inhalation doses in contaminated regions from three cases: Chernobyl (1986), Fukushima (2011), and ruthenium-103/106 emissions (2017). It highlights the critical role of aerosol particle size and atmospheric residence time in health risk assessment and crisis decision-making. This information are crucial in the context of crisis management, evacuation planning, and future intervention actions, for radiation protection of public. Knowledge about the fate of isotopes, their concentration, and the dynamics of their washout from the atmosphere is particularly useful during rescue operations for responders working in the direct exposure region.