HELSINKI, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) said on Friday that very small amounts of radioactive substances had been detected in outdoor air samples collected in mid-January in several parts of the country, but stressed that the levels posed no risk to people or the environment.
According to STUK, particle samples collected between Jan. 12 and 19 in northern Finland's Rovaniemi as well as eastern Finland's Kuopio and Imatra contained radioactive substances at concentrations exceeding the detection limit, although the amounts were described as very low.
STUK said such radioactive substances can be generated during the operation of nuclear power plants and may be released into the air, for example during maintenance work. In many cases, however, the exact source cannot be identified. The authority noted that it had determined the substances detected on this occasion did not originate from Finnish nuclear power plants.
STUK operates air-sampling stations at eight locations across Finland to monitor radioactive substances in the air. The stations draw in large volumes of air, allowing airborne particles to accumulate on filters, which are then analyzed. This method enables the detection of even very small amounts of radioactive materials.
According to STUK, samples from Rovaniemi contained radioactive manganese (Mn-54), iron (Fe-59) and cobalt (Co-60). In Kuopio, only cobalt was detected, while the sample from Imatra contained manganese, iron and cobalt, as well as niobium (Nb-95). ■