Environmental Board detects small quantities of radioactive particles
The Estonian Environmental Board said it has detected very small quantities of radioactive particles in the air that do not pose a health risk.
The Harku radiation monitoring station picked up on negligible quantities of Cesium (Cs-137 and Cs-134), cobalt (Co-60) and Ruthenium (Ru-103) isotopes, the Environmental Board said on Sunday.
Adviser to the board's radiation department Teet Koitjärv said that the quantities are very small and only detectable under laboratory conditions.
The particles were found when the filters of the Harku station were analyzed on June 14-21. "These quantities pose not health risks," Koitjärv said, adding that radiation monitoring remains active 24/7.
Koitjärv said the particles do not come from a nuclear military program: "These kinds of isotopes do not develop from testing nuclear weapons. The isotopes are likely from either a power plant or a company managing spent fuel."
The Environmental Board has no information on the origin of the radioactive isotopes. The same kinds of isotopes have been found in the air in Finland and Sweden.
The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has also published a preliminary map showing the spread of the radioactive isotopes.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
