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Transuranic elements from Chernobyl detected in Finnish freshwater fish16/08/2002
The fish from
Finnish lakes contained transuranic elements originating from the
Chernobyl fallout: plutonium, americium and curium. The transuranic
elements are heavier elements than uranium and generated in nuclear
reaction.
The concentrations of transuranic elements in fish from the Chernobyl fallout were very small. However, those that were detected originated from a few fish samples collected in the highest fallout area in Finland. The highest concentrations measured, less than 1 Bq (becquerel) per kg fresh weight, were found in fish samples from the Lake Päijänne and Oulujärvi, while those from Lake Saimaa remained below the detection limit. The EU has set the maximum limit in accident situation for transuranic elements in foodstuffs at 80 Bq/kg. It was estimated by calculating that the transuranic fallout should be thousandfold greater than that of Chernobyl fallout at highest in Finland in order to increase the plutonium and americium concentrations in fish flesh up to the maximum limit. "The most important result of the study was that we could in general detect the effect of the Chernobyl transuranic fallout on fish", stated Tarja K. Ikäheimonen, senior scientist from the NPP environmental laboratory of STUK. Samples of fish, fish liver and fish eggs were analysed from altogether 17 lakes. The samples were collected in 1986–1988. Page updated 30/09/2004
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