Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority has confirmed that very small amounts of radioactive substances were detected in outdoor air samples collected in mid‑January, but emphasized that the levels are harmless to people and the environment.
STUK said particle samples taken between Jan. 12 and 19 in Rovaniemi in the north, and in the eastern cities of Kuopio and Imatra, showed concentrations above the detection threshold, though still described as “very low.”
The authority said such particles can originate from routine operations at nuclear power plants, including maintenance work, but noted that the source in this case could not be identified. STUK added that the substances did not come from Finnish nuclear facilities.
Finland monitors airborne radioactivity through eight sampling stations that draw in large volumes of air, allowing particles to accumulate on filters for analysis. The system is designed to detect even minute traces of radioactive material.
According to STUK, samples from Rovaniemi contained manganese‑54, iron‑59 and cobalt‑60. Kuopio’s sample showed only cobalt‑60, while the sample from Imatra contained manganese, iron, cobalt and niobium‑95.
