Environment: unusual but low radioactivity detected in northern Europe

Text by: RFI Follow

Finland, Sweden and Norway have noted unusual low levels of human radioactivity in recent days, a harmless increase for humans who find their source in western Russia; but other clues also point to Latvia.

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The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, whose stations also measure increases in civilian radioactivity, has posted a map on Twitter showing the likely area of ​​origin of the source of the detected low contamination according to his measurements. The sector roughly covers the southern third of Sweden, the southern half of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, as well as a large area surrounding the northwestern border of Russia, including St. Petersburg.

"  Most likely of civil origin  "

These isotopes (cesium 137, cesium 134 and rutenium 103, in particular) "  are very probably of civil origin. We are able to indicate the probable region of the source, but it is not part of the mandate of the CTBTO (acronym of the organization, editor's note) to determine the exact origin  ", commented on Twitter Lassina Zerbo , the secretary general of the international organization based in Vienna.

Russian nuclear power producer Rosenergoatom has denied any incident in the two power plants it operates in this sector. "  No anomalies have been recorded at the Leningradskaya and Kolskaya nuclear power plants  ," a spokesperson for the Russian agencies said. The emissions "  did not exceed the control values ​​for the period indicated  " and "  there were no incidents linked to a release of radionuclides beyond the established levels  ", continued the operator.

According to calculations by the Dutch Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), "  the radionuclides come from the direction of western Russia  " even if the measurements do not allow a more precise location to be identified. The nuclides identified are very artificial and therefore of human origin. And their composition "  may indicate damage to a fuel element in a nuclear power plant,  " said the Dutch authority in a statement.

Belarusian wood

In addition to Russia, Finland and Sweden operate nuclear reactors in the area, but no incidents have been reported. The Baltic States do not have an active reactor, Lithuania having closed its only nuclear power plant of Soviet origin as part of its entry into the European Union. On the other hand, radioactivity problems have been reported in recent years in conventional power plants in Latvia. These used wood from certain regions of Belarus, especially around Gomel and Mogilev in the east of the country, which had been particularly contaminated by the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

The operator of the heating and electricity network of the Latvian capital Riga thus apologized in 2018 for using wood containing radioactive elements. And the company, Rigas Siltums, announced on June 17 in a press release that it had launched a research project "  on the control of the radioactivity of wood and ash  " from its power plants.

( with AFP )

► Read also: Russia: after the Nionoska nuclear explosion, the pollution revealed

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