Airborne concentrations and chemical considerations of radioactive ruthenium from an undeclared major nuclear release in 2017

authored by

Olivier Masson, Georg Steinhauser, Dorian Zok, O. Saunier, H. Angelov, D. Babić, V. Bečková, J. Bieringer, M. Bruggeman, C. I. Burbidge, S. Conil, A. Dalheimer, L. E. De Geer, A. De Vismes Ott, K. Eleftheriadis, S. Estier, Helmut W. Fischer, M. G. Garavaglia, C. Gasco Leonarte, K. Gorzkiewicz, D. Hainz, I. Hoffman, M. Hýža, K. Isajenko, T. Karhunen, J. Kastlander, C. Katzlberger, R. Kierepko, G. J. Knetsch, J. Kövendiné Kónyi, M. Lecomte, J. W. Mietelski, P. Min, B. Møller, S. P. Nielsen, J. Nikolic, L. Nikolovska, I. Penev, B. Petrinec, P. P. Povinec, Rebecca Querfeld, O. Raimondi, Daniela Ransby, W. Ringer, O. Romanenko, R. Rusconi, P. R.J. Saey, V. Samsonov, B. Šilobritiene, E. Simion, C. Söderström, M. Šoštarić, T. Steinkopff, P. Steinmann, I. Sýkora, L. Tabachnyi, D. Todorovic, E. Tomankiewicz, J. Tschiersch, R. Tsibranski, M. Tzortzis, K. Ungar, A. Vidic, Anica Weller, H. Wershofen, P. Zagyvai, T. Zalewska, D. Zapata García, B. Zorko

Abstract

In October 2017, most European countries reported unique atmospheric detections of aerosol-bound radioruthenium (¹⁰⁶Ru). The range of concentrations varied from some tenths of μBq·m^-3 to more than 150 mBq·m^-3. The widespread detection at such considerable (yet innocuous) levels suggested a considerable release. To compare activity reports of airborne ¹⁰⁶Ru with different sampling periods, concentrations were reconstructed based on the most probable plume presence duration at each location. Based on airborne concentration spreading and chemical considerations, it is possible to assume that the release occurred in the Southern Urals region (Russian Federation). The ¹⁰⁶Ru age was estimated to be about 2 years. It exhibited highly soluble and less soluble fractions in aqueous media, high radiopurity (lack of concomitant radionuclides), and volatility between 700 and 1,000 °C, thus suggesting a release at an advanced stage in the reprocessing of nuclear fuel. The amount and isotopic characteristics of the radioruthenium release may indicate a context with the production of a large ¹⁴⁴Ce source for a neutrino experiment.

Organisation(s)

Centre for Radiation Protection and Radioecology

External Organisation(s)

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS)
Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health
National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI)
Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS)
Belgian Nuclear Research Center
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)
Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI)
National Centre of Scientific Research DEMOKRITOS (NCSR Demokritos)
Federal Office of Public Health
University of Bremen
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente Del Friuli Venezia Giulia (ARPA FVG)
Instytut Chemii Bioorganicznej Polskiej Akademii Nauk
TU Wien (TUW)
Health Canada
Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection
Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK)
Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)
National Institute of Public Health and the Environment
Agricultural Biotechnology Center Godollo
Ministère de la Santé
National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control
Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA)
Technical University of Denmark
University of Belgrade
Institute of Public Health of the North Macedonia
Comenius University
Ufficio Prevenzione Ambiente e Vigilanza del Territorio (UPAV)
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom (NNEGC)
Radioactive Contamination Control and Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Protection Agency
National Environmental Protection Agency
Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center
Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant
Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance Cyprus
Institute for Public Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PHI)
National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB)
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
National Research Institute
Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI)
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente della Lombardia (ARPA Lombardia)
Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Déchets Radioactifs (ANDRA)
Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT)
IRSN Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire

Type

Article

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Volume

116

Pages

16750-16759

No. of pages

10

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication date

20.08.2019

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1907571116 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.15488/10953 (Access: Open)