Radiation detection in leaves in Hanoi

A monitoring station of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute yesterday discovered radioactive concentrations in leaves in Hanoi, in small amounts, do not affect human health.

The environmental radioactive monitoring station of the Hanoi Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology has collected pine needles (which are often used to indicate radioactive contamination in air and plants) in Soc Son district. . The monitoring station has recorded two radioactive isotopes of Cs-137 and Cs-134 in pine leaves, but the content is small, so it does not affect human health.

According to the image of the radioactive cloud simulation of the CTBTO Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, late yesterday, radioactive clouds entered Vietnam and could exist in Southeast Asia for a few days.

Simulation images predict the movement of radioactive clouds in Southeast Asia, at 2 pm on April 11.Photo: Ministry of Science and Technology

' The concentration of radionuclides will gradually decrease over time. The most powerful radioactive cloud (blue) is expected to disperse very quickly today, 'the Ministry of Science and Technology report said.

In Vietnam, according to the measurement data of the stations of the Atomic Energy Institute, in Da Lat and Ninh Thuan, radioactive isotopes Cs-134 and Cs-137 were not detected, only radioactive isotopes were recorded. 131 small. In Ho Chi Minh City, there are still recorded radioactive isotopes of I-131, Cs-134 and Cs-137. The measuring station in Hanoi did not see isotopes I-131.

'The artificial radioactive isotope recorded at the three locations is very low, does not affect human health and the environment ,' the report stressed.

'The radioactive concentration of I-131 has a half-life of 8.02 days, ie, 8.02 days the concentration of radiation will be halved, so the concentration of I-131 is no longer in the air. according to the law ', said Dr. Vuong Huu Tan, director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission.

According to Mr.Tan, assuming radioactive cloud covering Vietnam territory 100 times, it is still thousands of times lower than the standard for p.

Explaining more about color on radioactive cloud simulation image, Dr. Tan said, the right vertical ladder column shows the radioactivity level, each color corresponds to each level of high radioactivity. The top color shows a high level of radioactivity, the more it goes down, the lower the concentration of radiation.

Mr. Tan added, colors do not represent the level of radiation affecting human health, but need to calculate measurements with specific figures. The regulatory limit according to Vietnam standards is 10 million µBq / m3 for I-131 and 2 million µBq / m3 for Cs-137.

On April 8, at the meeting to discuss the plan to respond to the impact of nuclear incidents from Japan on public health in Vietnam, the Ministry of Health said it has built a preventive program for people to drink. Potassium iodine medicine to prevent radioactive contamination.