Despite the assurances of experts that the consequences of explosions at Japanese nuclear power plants are unlikely to reach our shores, people are still scared. Residents of Primorye are buying dosimeters and iodine preparations at exorbitant prices. Of course, you need to hope for the best, but it won’t hurt to figure out what actually protects against radiation. The leading researcher of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Russian Academy of Sciences, director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine, Doctor of Medical Sciences, will help us with this. Professor Evgeniy ZHAROV
Sauerkraut against isotopes
As our expert said, those isotopes that create an increased radiation background around the damaged Japanese nuclear power plants are short-lived. That is, they “dissipate” after 7-8 days. And, given the direction of the wind, there is no direct threat to our population. However, preventative measures can't hurt. Let's figure out how the most popular measures to protect the body from radiation work.
- Iodine prevents the accumulation of cesium and strontium in the body. And if a healthy person takes iodine-containing products for 3-4 weeks, there will be no harm. But an excess of this trace element in the body can lead to disruption of the production of thyroid hormones. And this is unsafe. Therefore, if you already have or have had any problems with the thyroid gland, then you should not take iodine without first consulting an endocrinologist.
- Red wine does not “remove” radiation, this is a common opinion. But it is a powerful antioxidant. That is, it suppresses the action of free radicals and inhibits oxidative processes in the body, which are also triggered by radiation. In this sense, it can be considered a good preventive measure. But! Only in small doses. The WHO recommended dose is 150-200 ml per day, that is, a glass. In large doses, even the best wine acts like a banal drink and weakens the immune system. Strong drinks, such as vodka, do not affect radiation. And don't start.
- Ascorbic acid, as is known, activates the body's defenses. Taking vitamin C in daily doses of up to 1.5 grams is a recognized means of boosting immunity and is part of anti-radiation therapy. Most ascorbic acid is found in sauerkraut, sea buckthorn, and citrus fruits - in grapefruits.
First of all -enterosorption.The complex word hides the use of sorbents that remove decay products of radioactive toxins from the intestines. There are pharmacy sorbents (activated carbon - 2-3 tablets before meals, enterosgel, etc.). Of the foods that have the best cleansing properties, fiber-rich oatmeal, grain bread, pears, unprocessed rice, and prunes have the best cleansing properties. Rice and cottage cheese “cleanse” the body of radionuclides
Dairy products, especially cottage cheese, reduce the accumulation of the radioactive metal strontium. And the substance methionine, contained in milk and fish, is necessary for the removal of radionuclides.
Fruit and vegetable juices with pulp, a decoction of flax seeds, and a decoction of chaga mushrooms also have good sorbing properties (this recipe has long been used by people living near radioactive substance repositories).
And you generally need to drink more fluids to ensure that your kidneys are constantly working to eliminate toxins. You can simply drink clean, clean water in small portions between meals.
We really hope that the following advice will not be useful in practice. But so, for general development: the most undesirable foods in conditions of increased radiation are jellied meat, bone broth (they accumulate radionuclides), beef, boiled eggs (strontium from the shell turns into protein during cooking).
As for the general rules of prevention: it is advisable to change and wash clothes after each time you go outside, take a shower several times a day, that is, try to wash off possible radioactive particles from your skin as much as possible.
Radiation is more dangerous for men and... blondes BY THE WAY
The threat of radiation contamination is also an enormous stress for the body - both psychological and physical. And first of all, as practice has already shown, reproductive function suffers in people exposed to even small doses of radiation. Moreover, as studies have shown, male infertility from radiation occurs more often than female infertility. As Professor Zharov said, during the Cold War, nuclear countries began to actively create sperm banks just in case.
Also, people with fair skin and hair are more susceptible to radiation compared to dark-skinned and dark-haired people. The same mechanism works here as in the case of UV radiation. After all, everyone knows that blondes and blonds burn faster in the sun.
In the area of the village of Argayash, background radiation was 986 times higher
Extremely high contamination of the environment with the radioactive isotope of ruthenium Ru-106 was recorded in the Chelyabinsk region in September-October. On the Roshydromet website, this is reported as one of the points in the department’s report, along with a deficiency of dissolved oxygen in the Vyazma River and pollution of the Argazinsky reservoir in the Urals with zinc ions. The most significant excess of background radiation was recorded in the area of the village of Argayash - 986 times compared to last month. In the neighboring settlement of Novogorny - 440 times. However, the total beta activity is recorded in samples of radioactive aerosols and fallout at all posts in the Southern Urals.
The radioactive cloud reached Europe
From September 29 to October 3, Ru-106, according to Roshydromet, was detected in small quantities in the territory of the European Union. According to Znak.сom, information about a radioactive cloud that came from Russia to Western Europe began to arrive from Germany and France at the end of September - precisely indicating that the probable source of radiation was the Chelyabinsk region.
Regional authorities denied the fact of a dangerous release
Despite the statements of foreign scientists, the administration of the Chelyabinsk region, sanitary doctors and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as the publication notes, denied the problem and, presumably, did not take any emergency measures. Regional Minister of Public Security Evgeny Savchenko later said that the administration did not receive information about the dangerous release from Roshydromet. “When there was a wave of press about ruthenium, we requested information from Rosatom and Roshydrometcenter [Roshydromet]. There were only hesitations, but since there was no danger, they did not consider it necessary to warn us,” he said in an interview with Ura.ru. - The sources of information were located in France, where there is a nuclear waste processing plant competing with our Mayak. It gives me certain thoughts."
Rosatom admits release of ruthenium, but not from Russian source
“The radiation situation around all nuclear facilities in the Russian Federation is within normal limits and corresponds to the natural radiation background,” Rosatom told Rossiyskaya Gazeta in October. - Data obtained from the radiation monitoring system of Roshydromet indicate that Ru-106 was not detected in aerosol samples from September 25 to October 7 on the territory of the Russian Federation, including the Southern Urals, except for the only measurement point in St. Petersburg." However, the state corporation did not deny the IAEA data on the fixation of the ruthenium isotope in Europe, especially in its eastern part - over Romania.
Photo: Alexander Kondratyuk / RIA Novosti
The source of contamination may be located at the Mayak enterprise
Near the settlements of Argayash and Novogorny there is the Mayak production association. The company is engaged in the storage of nuclear waste and the production of nuclear weapons components. The information about the release was not confirmed there. Deputy Governor of the region Oleg Klimov stood up for the enterprise. He explained to the agency that ruthenium released during the processing of nuclear fuel contains impurities of other radioactive isotopes, and they should have been recorded along with it in the event of an accident at Mayak. Greenpeace suggested that the source of pollution was nuclear waste brought for processing. “The emergency release of ruthenium-106 at the Mayak plant may be associated with vitrification of spent nuclear fuel,” environmentalists noted. “It is also possible that material containing ruthenium-106 may enter the metal melting furnace.” A Znak.сom source in Ozersk at the Mayak enterprise agreed with this possibility: “The wind rose goes directly from the industrial zone of the enterprise towards Argayash, so the news is not very positive.”
Greenpeace will appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office demanding a thorough investigation
This is a deliberate concealment of data about a radiation accident and its impact on the environment, Greenpeace is confident. Environmentalists reported the preparation of a statement to the Prosecutor General's Office. Supervisory authorities, in their opinion, should force Rosatom to conduct an investigation and publish information about incidents at Mayak and other enterprises where ruthenium could be released.
Photo: Alexander Kondratyuk / RIA Novosti
The consequences of the impact on people's health will appear in six months
According to Greenpeace radiation specialist Rashid Aliyev, it is already too late for residents to protect themselves from radiation. “The question now is to find out exactly what happened and where exactly it happened so we can be prepared for new emissions and understand their health consequences,” he told the publication. The release of ruthenium can, in particular, provoke a surge in cancer diseases.
Near the village of Argayash, background radiation was 986 times higher.
Extremely high contamination of the environment with the radioactive isotope of ruthenium Ru-106 was recorded in the Chelyabinsk region in September-October. On the Roshydromet website, this is reported as one of the points in the department’s report, along with a deficiency of dissolved oxygen in the Vyazma River and pollution of the Argazinsky reservoir in the Urals with zinc ions. The most significant excess of background radiation was recorded in the area of the village of Argayash - 986 times compared to last month. In the neighboring settlement of Novogorny - 440 times. However, the total beta activity is recorded in samples of radioactive aerosols and fallout at all posts in the Southern Urals.
The radioactive cloud reached Europe
From September 29 to October 3, Ru-106, according to Roshydromet, was detected in small quantities in the territory of the European Union. According to Znak.сom, information about a radioactive cloud that came from Russia to Western Europe began to arrive from Germany and France at the end of September, indicating that the probable source of radiation was the Chelyabinsk region.
Regional authorities denied the fact of a dangerous release
Despite statements by foreign scientists, the administration of the Chelyabinsk region, sanitary doctors and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as the publication notes, denied the problem and, presumably, did not take any emergency measures. Regional Minister of Public Security Yevgeny Savchenko later told RIA Novosti that the administration had not received information about the dangerous release from Roshydromet. “When there was a wave of press about ruthenium, we requested information from Rosatom and Roshydrometcenter [Roshydromet].
There were only hesitations, but since there was no danger, they did not consider it necessary to warn us,” he said in an interview with Ura.ru. - The sources of information were located in France, where there is a nuclear waste processing plant competing with our Mayak. It gives me certain thoughts."
Rosatom admits release of ruthenium, but not from Russian source
“The radiation situation around all nuclear facilities in the Russian Federation is within normal limits and corresponds to the natural radiation background,” Rosatom told Rossiyskaya Gazeta in October. - Data obtained from the radiation monitoring system of Roshydromet indicate that Ru-106 was not detected in aerosol samples from September 25 to October 7 on the territory of the Russian Federation, including the Southern Urals, except for the only measurement point in St. Petersburg." However, the state corporation did not deny the IAEA data on the fixation of the ruthenium isotope in Europe. Especially in its eastern part - over Romania.
The source of contamination may be located at the Mayak enterprise
Near the settlements of Argayash and Novogorny there is the Mayak production association. The company is engaged in the storage of nuclear waste and the production of nuclear weapons components. The information about the release was not confirmed there. Deputy Governor of the region Oleg Klimov also stood up for the enterprise. He explained to the agency that ruthenium released during the reprocessing of nuclear fuel contains impurities of other radioactive isotopes. And they should have been recorded along with him in the event of an accident at Mayak. Greenpeace suggested that the source of contamination was nuclear waste brought for processing. “The emergency release of ruthenium-106 at the Mayak plant may be associated with vitrification of spent nuclear fuel,” environmentalists noted. “It is also possible that material containing ruthenium-106 may enter the metal melting furnace.” A Znak.com source in Ozersk at the Mayak enterprise agreed with this possibility. “The wind rose goes directly from the industrial zone of the enterprise towards Argayash, so the news is not very positive,” he noted.
Greenpeace will appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office demanding a thorough investigation
This is a deliberate concealment of data about a radiation accident and its impact on the environment, Greenpeace is confident. Environmentalists reported the preparation of a statement to the Prosecutor General's Office. Supervisory authorities, in their opinion, should force Rosatom to investigate and publish information about incidents at Mayak or other enterprises where ruthenium could be released.
The consequences of the impact on people's health will appear in six months
According to Greenpeace radiation specialist Rashid Aliyev, it is already too late for residents to protect themselves from radiation. “The question now is to find out exactly what happened and where exactly it happened so that we can be prepared for new emissions and understand the health consequences,” he told the publication. The release of ruthenium can, in particular, provoke a surge in cancer diseases.
Radioactive ruthenium - an artificial isotope from nuclear waste
Ru-106 is the most stable radioactive isotope of ruthenium, with a half-life of just over a year (373 days). When decomposed, the noble metal rhodium is formed. Ru-106 itself is one of the decay products of uranium-235, which is used in nuclear weapons and as fuel in nuclear reactors. Ruthenium is produced artificially, or it is part of spent nuclear fuel.
The source of infection could be a satellite that fell from orbit
Ru-106 synthesized in its pure form is used in particle accelerators, radiotherapy for eye tumors, or serves as an energy source for spacecraft. According to specialists from the Institute of Industrial Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, when radioactive waste intended for processing is released, other radionuclides should be detected along with Ru-106. A more likely source of radioactive contamination would be a medical facility or a fallen satellite.
At the end of September, a strong release of the radioactive isotope of ruthenium Ru-106 was recorded in the Chelyabinsk region, Roshydromet reports. The report states that from September 25 to October 1, excess radioactivity was recorded at all observation posts in the Southern Urals. However, in some places the pollution was classified as “extremely high”. In the area of the village of Argayash, background radiation was 986 times higher, and in the village of Novogorny - 440 times. Both settlements are located near the Rosatom enterprise Mayak, which produces nuclear weapons components and stores spent nuclear fuel.
The Mayak press service has already released a statement indicating that the enterprise has nothing to do with ruthenium pollution of the atmosphere.
“In 2017, FSUE PA Mayak did not produce sources of ruthenium-106, emissions into the atmosphere were within the usual regulatory values. The background radiation is normal. Additionally, we inform you that work on the separation of ruthenium-106 from spent nuclear fuel (and the production of ionizing radiation sources based on it) has not been carried out at our enterprise for many years,” the statement says.“Atmospheric pollution with the ruthenium-106 isotope indicated in the message of Roshydromet is not related to the activities of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise PA Mayak,” the press service emphasized.
RIA News"
The authorities of the Chelyabinsk region said that no one reported to them about a powerful jump in radiation at the end of September. The region's Minister of Public Security, Evgeniy Savchenko, concluded from this that there is no danger in ruthenium emissions.
“If a high level of danger arises, Roshydromet does not wait for anything, but informs the authorities to take measures to protect the population, including evacuation,” he [Savchenko] noted."When there was a wave in the press about ruthenium, we requested information from Rosatom and the Roshydrometcenter [Roshydromet]. There were only hesitations, but since there was no danger, they did not consider it necessary to warn us... The sources of information were located in France, where there is a competing Our “Mayak” nuclear waste processing plant leads to certain thoughts,” the official said.
URA.ru
The media wrote about severe air pollution with ruthenium back at the end of September. Immediately after the release, due to weather conditions, the radioactive cloud quickly moved to the Mediterranean region and then to northern Europe. The German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) recorded increased levels of ruthenium in the air between September 29 and November 3. Also, a non-dangerous increase in background radiation was recorded in France. BfS identified one of the enterprises in the Southern Urals as the probable cause of the contamination. But the authorities of the Chelyabinsk region and Rosatom denied this assumption. In particular, the Rosatom communications department released a statement saying that Roshydromet had not recorded an increase in background radiation in the area of the Ural enterprises and that the source of pollution should be sought in Europe.
Greenpeace is now preparing a statement to the Russian Prosecutor's Office demanding a thorough investigation and publication of all materials related to recent incidents at Mayak and other enterprises that could have caused the release of ruthenium. Greenpeace radiation specialist Rashid Aliyev said that it is no longer possible to protect people from radiation in the release zone, because all the danger was in September. It will be possible to draw a conclusion about the consequences of the release on the health of residents of the Chelyabinsk region no sooner than in six months.
In environmental ratings of Russian regions, the Chelyabinsk region invariably ranks last. The most pressing problem is air pollution, the source of which is industrial enterprises. In early November, residents of Chelyabinsk complained of a thick fog with a chemical smell that enveloped the city. Many concluded that this was smog, which was formed due to emissions. At the same time, people noted that during the visit of President Vladimir Putin, the air in the city became much cleaner, and after his departure the situation worsened again.
November 21, 13:19 Director of Rosatom's communications department Andrei Cheremisinov commented on the recent release and Greenpeace's appeal to the prosecutor's office. According to him, the corporation has nothing to hide and is ready to cooperate in the investigation. He also clarifies that the excess of background radiation by hundreds of times was calculated relative to the readings of the previous month, and not relative to the maximum permissible value.
“Of course, we are ready. We are open. We have nothing to hide. Everything is fine. Greenpeace is doing its job, doing what it does correctly. We are ready to calm everyone down.<...>The phrase "extremely high pollution" indicates that they are being compared to the previous month. This suggests that they have very accurate instruments. The numbers themselves, if compared with the maximum permissible concentrations, are approximately a thousand times lower than the maximum permissible concentrations.<...>
There were no incidents related to the release of radioactivity at our enterprises. Since this data first appeared about a month ago, we then already conducted an internal investigation, an internal audit. We are fine. As for the fact that Roshydromet has made this public now, as far as I understand, we contacted them and found out that their website is updated once a month. This is data from a month ago, when this happened throughout Europe. It is worth noting that in Europe the numbers are higher. In particular, in Romania the level is higher than ours. Thus, we ourselves cannot yet understand where this comes from. There are a whole lot of versions. For now we can only speak for ourselves. We are fine".
Andrey Cheremisinov in an interview with the radio station "Moscow Speaks"
November 21, 14:09 A source familiar with the situation, who wished to remain anonymous, told Varlamov.ru that weather stations controlled by Roshydromet did not immediately notice the release of the radioactive isotope of ruthenium because they carried out measurements incorrectly. According to him, when it became clear to them what had actually happened, “officials had already given an answer that there were no problems with ruthenium in Russia.”
“When information came from European countries about the release of the radioactive isotope of ruthenium (Ru-106), we did not have any excesses. The method for measuring ruthenium is not simple, so measurements were carried out, if I’m not mistaken, once every five days, this is done by the regional department for hydrometeorology and environmental monitoring (UGMS). At the same time, when Roshydromet began to look at how the measurements were carried out, it became clear that they were not carried out completely correctly. After that, they collected fresh information from all weather stations and formed a plate from which it is clearly clear that significant the excess is shown by posts around the Mayak PA. This table is more than a month old, for some reason only now information has appeared on it in the media.By the time they made the table, all the officials had already given the answer that there were no problems with ruthenium in Russia, therefore, as I understand it, they decided not to change horses at the crossing and not to issue refutations.
It must be understood that these excesses of ruthenium do not affect health at all, so the topic is rather of scientific and political interest, and also indicates shortcomings in communication with European partners."
November 22, 15:55 Rostechnadzor reported that from October 26 to November 3, it conducted an inspection at Mayak and found that there were no violations in terms of radiation levels and control measurements there.
“During the inspection, it was established that during August-October 2017, on the territory of PA Mayak, its sanitary protection zone and observation zone, the specific activity of radionuclides in the surface air, including the specific activity of the ruthenium-106 isotope, did not exceed permissible and control levels ", established for the enterprise. No violations related to the conduct of radiation monitoring of sources of releases of radioactive substances, as well as the operation of equipment and the conduct of technological processes that could cause the release of the ruthenium-106 isotope into the atmosphere, were not identified," the statement says. message.
Last week, the word “ruthenium,” which is unfamiliar to most Sverdlovsk residents, acquired an ominous meaning and unprecedented popularity in the Sverdlovsk region. The incident with the release of an “increased dose of radiation” from our neighbors worried everyone. Details of the story are in the material "AiF-Ural".
What happened?
20 thousand times
the release of Ru-106 is less than the permissible annual dose.In the report of Roshydromet “On emergency, extremely high and high environmental pollution on the territory of the Russian Federation,” the following message appeared: “From September 25 to October 1, the excess of total beta activity in samples of radioactive aerosols and fallout was recorded by all posts located in the Southern Urals. The radioisotope Ru-106 was detected in samples from the Argayash and Novogorny observation points.”
In addition, the decay products of ruthenium were recorded by meteorologists in Tatarstan. At the same time, in Argayash and Nagorny the level of pollution was called “extremely high” (exceeding the background for the previous month - 986 and 440 times, respectively).
Meanwhile, data on emissions of ruthenium-106 were also recorded in Western Europe. Extremely high concentrations of Ru-106 were previously noted in Slovakia (09.29-30.2017) and Romania (09.30.2017) - countries that are located approximately 3 thousand kilometers from the Chelyabinsk Mayak Production Association.
Where did Ru-106 come from?
Mayak PA specialists have two assumptions about how ruthenium-106 could get into the atmosphere. The first option is a violation of the tightness of the fuel element shell (fuel element) in a nuclear reactor or during radiochemical reprocessing of fuel. It is the least likely, since dozens of other, so-called “fragmentation” radionuclides would have to be released simultaneously.
The second option: the release could have occurred during the production of new, use of existing, or disposal of used ruthenium-based radiation sources. With the complete destruction of such a source, concentrations of Ru-106 in the atmosphere could be recorded at a distance of up to 500 km, and an increased background radiation and severe radioactive contamination of the atmosphere would be observed directly at the site of depressurization.
Is it dangerous?
The degree of human exposure to ruthenium-106 depends on the concentration of the substance in the atmosphere. If a radioactive isotope enters the body, it increases the risk of developing cancer, can cause allergic reactions, and affect the upper respiratory tract. However, the Rosatom enterprise Mayak PA made an official comment on November 21, 2017: “The data on contamination with the ruthenium-106 isotope announced by Roshydromet allow us to conclude that the dose that could have been received by a person is 20 thousand times less than the permissible annual dose and does not represent any danger to the health and life of people.”Roshydromet also explained the emergence of data on the “extremely high” release of ruthenium-106. We quote: “Increased attention to monitoring data was created by some environmental organizations during the formation of their budgets for the next year, with the aim of “increasing” their importance in the eyes of the public, as well as the inability of these organizations to work in information environments.” As for the “hundreds” of times “exceeding” the content of ruthenium-106 in the samples relative to the previous period, experts explained this... by the absence of this radionuclide in previous samples.
How did the “sensation” come about?
Specialists from the online analytical magazine “Geoenergetica.ru” conducted a study of the situation and concluded that it was a “fake”. The fact is that Ruthenia is the Latin name for Russia, and the source of the scandal could have taken place on the political plane. The German Federal Center for Radiation Protection reported an increase in the level of Ru-106 in the air of a number of European countries - Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France. At the same time, the Germans initially emphasized: “Since the content of only this radioactive isotope was recorded, an accident at a nuclear power plant is excluded as the cause of its appearance.” They also did not confirm any danger to human health.On October 6, 2017, the news appeared in the Ukrainian media, and then the French Institute of Radiation Protection issued a version: “The air pollutant could have been generated in the southern regions of the Urals or located close to them.” Only in November did domestic publications begin to distribute it. On November 20, representatives of Greenpeace Russia reported that they had contacted the prosecutor's office, demanding to check whether anyone was hiding a nuclear accident. At the same time, the IAEA did not find a “Russian trace” in the ruthenium emissions.
When will we know the truth?
Ru-106 is a radioactive isotope of ruthenium, an element of the eighth group of the fifth period of the periodic table of chemical elements. Its atomic number is 44. It belongs to the platinum metals. The half-life of the isotope (the decay product of uranium and plutonium) is one year, which is a long time, so it is considered a “long-lived isotope” that is dangerous to living things. The discoverer, Karl Klaus, named the new element in honor of Russia (Ruthenia is the Latin name for Rus'/Russia).
At the moment, Russian nuclear scientists are creating a commission to establish the source of origin of ruthenium-106. Rosatom notes that this element does not exist in nature; it is obtained for use in medicine, for the creation of autonomous radioisotope energy sources (for marine navigation beacons or for small artificial Earth satellites). That is, its appearance in the atmosphere can only be explained by its technogenic nature. At the same time, the connection between the appearance of ruthenium and the work of Russian nuclear enterprises has been refuted by all external and internal checks.The commission will include representatives of science and regulatory agencies. It must re-analyze the monitoring and create computer models that reconstruct the distribution and movement of air masses. The work of the commission will be coordinated by the Institute for Safe Development of Nuclear Energy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Rosatom promises to provide the necessary assistance and inform the public about the results. According to our information, the first results will appear in about six months.
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