Large forest and brush fires are still raging in Russia. The Norwegian Radiation Protection Agency (NRPA) is monitoring them closely in case radioactive material from the 1986 Chernobyl explosion is released into the air.
After the Chernobyl melt-down, plants in a wide area absorbed large amounts of the toxic substance Cesium 137, which would be released into the air when the vegetation burns down. Once released, the material could drift over large distances towards Western Europe, even Norway.
NRPA is currently keeping a close eye on radiation levels both in Norway and across Europe. Until now, none of the monitors in Norway have shown any increase in radiation. At present the wind speed over Russia remains low, but even when this changes the chances that radioactive material would drift to Norway are miniscule.
The Chernobyl accident is the most serious nuclear accident in history. It occurred on April 26 1986, in the Soviet city of Chernobyl when a nuclear reactor exploded. The accident caused large amounts of radioactive material drift to Europe. Cesium 137 has a half-life of thirty years, which means that the substance is still present in Norwegian vegetation.
Several Russian nuclear plants have so far been evacuated due to the forest fires. Bellona, an international environmental NGO based in Norway, shares concern with the NRPA:
- This is an area with some of the highest levels of radioactive pollution in the world. Obviously forest fires in this region could be extremely dangerous, said Nils Böhmer, an atomic physicist from the organization.
(NRK)
Contributed by Thor Steinhovden
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