Traces of radioactive iodine found in the air, in France and Europe of the very low levels of iodine 131 have been discovered since January, by several European scientific stations. It could be a rejection industrial, issued out of the European territory.

They were detected, in January, a bit everywhere in Europe. Traces of radioactive iodine have been recorded since the first week of January in several European countries, including the France, said the Institute for radioprotection and nuclear safety (IRSN), in a statement published Monday, February 13. Iodine-131 is a radioactive element that exposes the risks of irradiation when released in large doses by accident, for example. But it is also used for medical purposes to lower dose.

The IRSN was alerted of this radioactive pollution by the European network of Five Ring, scientific agencies in charge of the Radiological monitoring of the atmosphere. Since January 9, several European resorts have so noted levels "extrêmement faibles" presence of iodine-131 in the air. " The first traces were detected in Norway, then Finland, Poland, Germany and France. Levels, all of the order of the microbecquerel per cubic meter, pose no health hazard, assure the IRSN.

The track of an industrial rejection

It is, however, a "evenement relatively exceptionnel", says Olivier Masson, specialist atmospheric monitoring at the IRSN, contacted by Ted. "Depuis 2010, there were only a dozen of events like this that have been reported to the europeen level", reminds us of the researcher. The last significant episode in date goes back to early 2011, due to the radioactive fallout from the accident in Fukushima, in the Japan. In comparison, these recent "etaient about 10 000 times greater than those measured in January 2017", Criirad association in a statement (PDF) statement. "

But then, source of these mysterious traces detected since early January? If IRSN is waiting to receive new data from some countries, the hypothesis of an industrial rejection seems to emerge. "Cela looks more like a continuous release to an instant rejection, even if we got values that are a little more low dernierement" analysis and Olivier Masson.

For him, the rejection had to occur far enough of the France and other European countries, "probablement outside the strictly europeen". " Indeed, the traces were detected, at the level of the European continent, roughly at the same time and at the same levels. "Cela means that the rejection had time to be disperser", deciphers the scientist. "

"What would have happened without the weather, "inapercu "

Finally, weather conditions, who participated in the episode of fine particulate pollution, have similarly played a role in the detection of these levels of iodine 131. "Sans, they could have gone unnoticed because it is very close to the limits of detection of the appareils", assure Olivier Masson. In addition, the weather book a new index on the location: at the beginning of the year, "on was under a wind of est regime", which suggests so "que the source is located more to the East and to the West of the Europe".

If the track of the industrial release is confirmed, the event recalled a similar episode occurred in October-November 2011, well after the fallout from Fukushima. Traces of iodine 131 were then identified in several European countries, somewhat as in January. The investigation had finally allowed back to an Institute of production of radionuclides for pharmaceuticals, located in the region of Budapest (Hungary), victim of an accidental release.

As noted by the Criirad association, many facilities are indeed allowed to release of iodine-131 into the atmosphere, within the limits of the authorized standards. This is the case of nuclear power plants, such as La Hague reprocessing plants (handle), or even facilities associated with the use of iodine 131 in the medical field. Accidental releases, also tiny they may be, are an opportunity to remind the French and Europeans living neighbours nearby.