The Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) is France’s public service expert in nuclear and radiation risks, and its activities cover all the related scientific and technical issues.
“The decree 10 March 2016 entrusts IRSN with missions of expertise and research in the following areas:
- nuclear safety
- safety of transport of radioactive and fissile materials
- protection of man and the environment against ionizing radiation
- protection and control of nuclear materials
- protection of nuclear facilities and transport of radioactive and fissile materials against malicious acts.
IRSN interacts with all parties concerned by these risks (public authorities, local authorities, companies, research organizations, stakeholders’ associations, etc.) to contribute to public policy issues relating to nuclear safety, human and environmental protection against ionizing radiation, and the protection of nuclear materials, facilities, and transport against the risk of malicious acts.”
Today, the IRSM reported that a cloud of radioactive pollution over Europe suggested that there was an accident at some nuclear facility in Russia or Kazakhstan in the last week of September. European radioactivity monitoring stations showed high levels of Ru-106 at the beginning of October with the levels steadily decreasing after October 6th. Ruthenium (RU) 106 does not occur in nature. Nuclear reactors are the only source of Ru-106. It would have taken a significant release of Ru-106 to produce the levels found over Europe. If that much Ru-106 had been released in France, there would have been evacuations for miles around the source.
The IRSN said that the radioactive cloud was not indicative of an accident in a nuclear reactor. They believe that the source was probably either a site where nuclear fuel is handled or a center for radioactive medicine. There have been no reports of any impact on human health or the environment in Europe.
The IRSN was unable to say exactly where the radioactive pollution originated. Based on weather patterns, it is likely that the source of the pollution was south of the Ural mountains, between the mountains and the Volga river. That means that the source was in Russia or Kazakhstan. The IRSN director Jean-Marc Peres told the Reuters news service that “Russian authorities have said they are not aware of an accident on their territory.” The IRSN has not yet spoken with Kazakh authorities with respect to the radioactive cloud.
The IRSN said that if there had been a nuclear reactor accident, other radioactive isotopes would have also been released. Ru-106 can be used to power satellites but there had been no report of a Ru-106 satellite falling to Earth over Europe recently. Ru-106 is used in nuclear medicine because it has a half-life of about a year. It is probable that the Ru-106 was released from a radioactive medicine center. It could also have come from a facility where nuclear fuel is processed.
This is not the first time that releases of radioactive materials from Russia and surrounding countries have found their way into the atmosphere over Europe. Sometimes it has been difficult to track down the exact source of such releases in the past.
