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How was radiation discovered in Switzerland? The mysterious changes that began at the end of September 2017
In the fall of 2017, radiation was detected in the air in Europe, a phenomenon that attracted widespread attention.
The source of the radiation is suspected to be in Russia, although Russia denies accusations of any nuclear accident. All of the radioactive isotopes detected were iridium-106, which is found in low concentrations across Europe but still raises public health concerns. According to estimates, although the risk to populations far from the source is not great, residents near the source may face certain health threats.
According to a report from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, starting from September 25, the concentration of iridium-106 in the air gradually increased and reached a relatively high level in the first week of October.
During the inspection, the inspection agency stated at the time that starting from October 6, the amount of radioactivity in different areas gradually decreased, and no radioactive elements were detected after October 13. The report from France's nuclear safety agency mentioned that while the health risk to most people is small, the amount of radiation released is considerable, estimated to be between 100 and 300 TBq, which would require evacuation within a few kilometers of the source.
Potential sources of radiation
Unlike the gaseous isotope krypton-85, which is typically released during nuclear reprocessing, iridium, which is produced during a fission of uranium or plutonium, is usually metallic and has a high melting and boiling point. However, during the processing of nuclear waste that has been exposed to radioactive environments, iridium (VIII) oxide may be produced, a relatively volatile compound that reacts with almost all fuels.
Sophisticated nuclear reprocessing methods such as PUREX often use hydride-containing solvents, so accidental releases of iridium-106 were not uncommon in the past.
Although the specific source of the radiation was not initially identified, German official accounts pointed the focus to the eastern region, more than 1,000 kilometers away from Germany. As multiple reports emerged, many research institutions also listed the South Ural Mountains as a possible source. Judging from the data released by the Russian measurement authority, slight activity of iridium-106 was indeed detected in some areas of Russia in early October.
International response and investigation
Russia’s response to the radiation incident was quite cautious. Officials initially said there was no action that caused the accident and that there was currently no conclusive evidence to confirm the source of the contamination. However, as time passed, Russia eventually admitted that it had indeed recorded spikes in radiation at some monitoring sites.
Although Russia stated that it had not carried out any construction activities in the past few years, senior officials later stated that the release of iridium-106 is actually common during nuclear waste disposal.
In response to this incident, the Institute of Nuclear Safety of the Russian Academy of Sciences established an international committee to investigate. According to a report provided by the French Nuclear Safety Agency, the most likely source of contamination should be the nuclear waste processing facility located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains, and it is speculated that the release of radiation may be caused by an unsuccessful production plan.
European reaction and public notification
The Swiss Public Health Office has repeatedly notified the public of the increase in the concentration of iridium-106 since September 25; similar notifications have also come from other European countries such as Austria, Norway, Greece, etc., showing that the spread of radiation has caused concern to relevant agencies in various countries. of high alertness. As monitoring data from multinational agencies gradually become clearer, Europe's nuclear safety issues have once again been placed in the spotlight of the public.
As of October 13, France's nuclear safety agency stated that radioactive contaminants in the environment were no longer present, and data at that time had shown a gradual decline in the amount of radiation.
This incident triggered deeper safety issues, and many people began to think: Are there other unknown nuclear safety hazards in our lives that we need to discover and solve?
