2017: Release of Ruthenium-106
In autumn 2017, small amounts of Ruthenium-106 were widely detected in samples of airborne and deposited radioactivity in Europe (see links below).
Additional investigations made it possible to provide information on the possible location of the source of the release as well as the order of magnitude of the quantities released.
Based on the meteorological conditions provided by different meteorological institutions and the measurement results available in European countries, several regulators and technical safety organisations carried out simulations to locate the release zone, to assess the quantity of ruthenium released as well as the period and the duration of the release.
The results obtained confirm that the most plausible zone of release lies between the Volga and the Urals. However, it has not been possible, with the available data, to specify the exact location of the point of release.
Based on these results, ENSREG took action at the end of 2017 to coordinate the participation of European members to take part in the 'Independent International Scientific Commission' set-up by the Russian IBRAE (see the first letter attached below). This commission gathered two times in January (see the information for ENSREG Members about the first meeting attached below) and in April 2018, but no joint conclusions have been drawn on the source of the release. ENSREG made officially a request to the Russian regulator with copy to IBRAE, in charge of the commission, especially concerning the possibility to carry out measurements on site (see the second letter attached). This request did not receive a positive answer.
ENSREG recognizes that, thanks to the international commission, cooperative efforts have been a good basis for exchanges on this event and awaits the answers to the open technical questions submitted by four European members in the international commission to IBRAE. However, ENSREG regrets that no joint conclusion was possible and maintains its analysis about the possible geographical source location.
Following its plenary meeting of 2 July 2018, ENSREG decided to issue a detailed communication on the Ruthenium release (attached below) and to publish on its website the links to the measurements made by different EU regulators and TSOs during the period of the release (see below).
The IAEA published a document titled 'Status of Measurements of Ru-106 and Ru-103 in Europe at 2017-11-24 at 15:00 UTC', which is free for public use but only available to registered users on their USIE platform.
Austria:
- https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.bmlrt.gv.at/umwelt/strahlen-atom/notfallplanung/radiologische_notfaelle/Ruthenium-in-der-Luft.html__;!!DOxrgLBm!RG3Av6cQK7PjtX_P0qYJXQwW9QLZkyQr2klr3PprEVKZxfPzI5JJXWjvJRQ5wZh6vpxFM-M$
Belgium:
No Ru-106 detected; scientific, non-official reporting:
- https://www.meteo.be/meteo/view/en/35500766-SCK%E2%80%A2CEN+and+the+RMI+publish+study+on+the+presence+of+radioactive+ruthenium-106.html
- https://www.sckcen.be/en/News/20171221_Ruthenium
Croatia:
- http://cms.dzrns.hr/?@=5pmz#news_8980
Cyprus:
- http://www.mlsi.gov.cy/mlsi/dli/dliup.nsf/9CF2F9FF71FE90CFC225821E003BECE9/$file/Ruthenium.pdf
Estonia:
- https://www.keskkonnaamet.ee/et/uudised/mitme-euroopa-riigi-ohust-leiti-vaikeses-koguses-radioaktiivset-isotoopi-ruteenium-106
Finland:
- http://www.stuk.fi/web/en/topics/environmental-radiation/radioactivity-in-outdoor-air
- http://www.ensreg.eu/document/detections-ru-106-finland
France:
- http://www.french-nuclear-safety.fr/Information/News-releases/Ruthenium-106-in-the-ambient-air-in-France-no-risk-identified-for-the-population
- http://www.irsn.fr/fr/actualites_presse/actualites/pages/20180206_detection-ruthenium-106-octobre-2017-resultats-investigations-irsn-maj-6-fevrier-2018.aspx#.WzsyRnp8H6M
Germany:
- http://www.bfs.de/SharedDocs/Kurzmeldungen/BfS/EN/2017/1003-ruthenium-106.html
Greece:
- http://eeae.gr/en/news/announcements/announcement-about-the-detection-of-ruthenium-106-in-the-atmosphere
Hungary:
- http://www.energia.mta.hu/Ru-106_in_Hungary_(18APR2018_Hajduszoboszlo).pdf
Lithuania:
- http://gamta.lt/cms/index?rubricId=7a9a8309-05de-4580-836c-cfff1327d18b
- http://gamta.lt/files/Radiologinis%20monitoringas%2020171531225075830.pdf
Luxembourg:
Ru-106 has not been detected.
Netherlands:
- https://www.rivm.nl/Documenten_en_publicaties/Algemeen_Actueel/Nieuwsberichten/2017/Kleine_hoeveelheid_ruthenium_106_in_de_lucht_in_West_Europa
Slovakia:
- http://www.uvzsr.sk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3281:uvz-sr-13-10-2017-namerane-hodnoty-ruthenia-106-v-ovzdui-na-uzemi-sr-neohrozuju-zdravieq&catid=56:tlaove-spravy&Itemid=62
Slovenia:
- http://ursjv.arhiv-spletisc.gov.si/si/info/posamezne_zadeve/meritve_rutenija_106_v_sloveniji
UK:
The UK has not published any monitoring data in relation to Ru-106.
