The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (FSO) has calculated that radioactive isotopes, which have been measured in air over Europe for several days, must originate from a source from sourn Urals. They shared BFS and federal environment Ministry on Sunday. However, it is not clear to you why particles of radioactive element Runium-106 are detected.

There is no danger from particles. Their concentration in air is very low. "Even with constant inhalation over period of one week, this results in a dose that is lower than that which is absorbed by natural ambient radiation in an hour," it says in a communication from Ministry of Environment. The measured dose is 100,000 times smaller than those from which measures are necessary to protect population.

An accident in a nuclear power plant could be excluded as a cause, according to ministry. Only a single isotope was measured, Runium-106. In an accident in a nuclear power plant, however, many different radioactive elements would be released.

Ministry hopes for information from Russia

Runium-106 has a half-life of 373 days. It is used in medicine in treatment of tumors. It can also be used in construction of power sources for satellites and may occur in reworking of nuclear fuel elements.

On 3 October slightly elevated values of Runium-106 were first reported from Austria. On next day, small quantities were also found at a trace measuring point in Germany. A station of German Meteorological Service (DWD) in Görlitz had measured traces of radioactive material during evaluation of a sample collected between September 25 and October 2. Traces were also found at or German measuring stations.

The BFS calculated possible spread in atmosphere from values and wear conditions. The calculation is highly likely to indicate a source in sourn Urals. Meanwhile, it has been defeated and does not seem to release any more particles.

The federal environment ministry wrote that it expects both responsible Russian authorities and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to contribute to Enlightenment as soon as possible and to provide robust information for clarity on cause of increased Runiumwerte worries.

Date Of Update: 09 October 2017, 12:06