A small amount of radioactive substances has been detected in air samples in Finland, although there was no risk to public health, the country's nuclear safety watchdog said on Friday, UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
Details
"The concentrations were very low and posed no risk to people or the environment," the country's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) said in a statement.
According to Yle, a small amount of radioactive substances was detected in the air in Imatra, Kuopio, and Rovaniemi. The sample taken from Imatra contained manganese, cobalt, and niobium. Only cobalt was found in the sample from Kuopio. Radioactive manganese, iron, and cobalt were detected in Rovaniemi. The samples were collected from January 12 to 19.
STUK stated that the radioactive substances did not originate from Finnish nuclear power plants, although it did not provide an explanation for their detection.
"In many cases, the source of radioactive substances cannot be identified," the agency said. Finland, Sweden, Russia, and the wider region have a number of nuclear reactors, the publication notes.