Radioactive clouds covering Europe may originate from Russia

The Russian Meteorological Agency discovered very high levels of ruthenium-106 radioisotopes in the southern Ural Mountains.

The abnormal ruthenium-106 isotope that appeared in Europe in October may have originated in Russia, according to the Russian Meteorological Agency, Live Science on November 22.

European countries discovered radioactive clouds in October. (Photo: Inhabitat).

Member States of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) discovered a large amount of ruthenium-106 radioactive isotopes suspended above 14 European countries in early October, according to reports from the County Safety Agency. French personality. Based on the level of radiation, experts suspect radioactive clouds originated in Russia. Russia denies the occurrence of nuclear incidents in its territory.

However, the Russian Meteorological Agency announced yesterday that a very high amount of ruthenium-106 appeared in the southern Ural Mountains in late September. The amount of ruthenium-106 in Argayash was 986 times higher than normal.

Ruthenium-106 is a radioactive isotope of ruthenium, which has a different number of neutrons than the natural form of the original element. Chemically, this white hard metal is similar to platinum, and can be produced by dissolving platinum in nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. Ruthenium is rare and was discovered in 1844 in the Ural Mountains, according to Live Science.

Ruthenium-106 is not available in nature but often produced by separating uranium-235 atoms in a nuclear reactor. Ruthenium-106 was also created during the re-processing of nuclear fuel. This process involves splitting radioactive plutonium and uranium from used nuclear fuel in nuclear power reactors, according to Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit organization.

Experts also use ruthenium-106 for eye and head radiotherapy, according to Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. A small amount of this substance is also used in thermoelectric generators on satellites, according to IRSN, a research institute for French nuclear and radioactive risks.

Ruthenium if large digestion is toxic and can cause cancer. This substance also lingered very long in bone. However, the amount of ruthenium detected in the past two months seems safe, according to IRSN.

Based on the concentration of ruthenium-106, radioactive sources may be near the Ural Mountains.(Photo: IRSN).

The concentration of ruthenium-106 in the air recorded in Europe, especially France, does not cause adverse effects on the environment and human health, IRSN said. Within a few kilometers around the radioactive material, ruthenium can be contaminated. However, the risk of this food being exported is very low.

Without any other nuclear by-products, there is no possibility that this cloud originates directly from a nuclear reactor, according to the French Nuclear Safety Agency. Because ruthenium-106 does not exist in nature and there are no reports of a recent fall in the satellite, the most reasonable reason is that it is out of control.

About 30km from Argayash weather center is the Mayak nuclear plant in the Chelyabinsk Oblast. The plant re-processes nuclear fuel to make radioactive substances for industrial and research use, according to the Straits Times.

However, state-owned energy corporation Rosatom, which operates the Mayak plant, denied that the site was linked to radioactive clouds.

"The ruthenium-106 isotope atmosphere confirmed by the Russian Meteorological Agency is unrelated to Mayak's operation. The data they published show that the amount of ruthenium-106 is less than 20,000 times the annual permissible threshold. and not threatening human health , " said Rosatom.

In the past, the Mayak factory had met some nuclear incidents. In 1957, the Kyshtym disaster, the third largest nuclear accident in the world, affected the surrounding area with hundreds of thousands of people. The two largest nuclear disasters occurred at the Chernobyl power plant, Ukraine and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan.