NERIS Webinar on Chernobyl Wildfires – 28 May 2020 15:00-16:30

Announcement

In April 2020, wildfires were reported in the exclusion zone around the damaged Chernobyl nuclear reactor. The fires reached the red forest, one of the most contaminated natural environments , and came as close as two kilometers from the sarcophagi covering the damaged reactor. These are not the first wildfires after the 1986 accident and radiation scientists  have recognized the potential to return radioactive material into the air, especially cesium-137 and strontium-90. This poses an obvious and immediate health risk to fire fighters, but smoke plumes may also transport this re-suspended radioactive material over long distances, resulting in redistribution of the historic fall-out from the accident.

At the local and regional scale, people are concerned about the potential radiological impact too.  Several institutes have made assessments of the situation to answer these concerns, with a combination of satellite imagery and local observations of the fires’ location and intensity, radionuclide detection and models of atmospheric dispersion and transport of particles. Methods developed for the management of earlier nuclear and radiological emergencies were used and new tools, like source inversion techniques, were tested. A number of institutes have issued general statements as well as detailed reports on the Chernobyl wildfires, available to the public on websites and social media.  

In this webinar is discussed the analyses carried out by different institutes, including their rationales, methods, results, communication to the general public as well as collaboration among them. First several speakers present briefly the situation from their perspective. In the second half, participants’ questions are addressed by the speakers and a moderated discussion will be held.

Speakers:

  • Valery Kashparov – Ukrainian Institute for Agricultural Research, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences (UIAR) - Ukraine
  • Dmitry Bazyka -National Center for Radiation Medicine in Kiev,  the WHO Collaborating Center for Radiation and Health - Ukraine
  • Wolfgang Raskob – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) – Germany
  • Jasper Tomas – National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) – The Netherlands
  • Olivier Saunier – Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) – France
  • Astrid Liland – Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear safety Authority (DSA) – Norway
  • Johan Camps – Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN) - Belgium
  • Nick Beresford - UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (United Kingdom) and ALLIANCE Platform

Final Comments: Thierry Schneider – CEPN and Chair of NERIS – France

Discussion Chair: Lindis Skipperud - NMBU/CERAD - Norway

Chat Moderators: Yevgeniya Tomkiv and Deborah Oughton - NMBU/CERAD - Norway

6th NERIS Workshop - cancelation

We have the regret to inform you that following the cancelation of the ERPW 2020, the 6th NERIS Workshop is canceled for 2020 and reported to 2021. Further information on the scheduling will be communicated in coming months.

We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience, stay safe !

NERIS Newsletter 18th issue - updated

The pdf 18th issue (4.02 MB) (version 18-2) of the NERIS Newsletter is now available.

  • Please note that the version "18-2" cancels and replace version "18" previously provided

This edition provides some feedbacks from recent events, such as NERIS sessions at ERPW 2019, feedback on European projects final Workshops, updates for the NERIS Workshop 2020 etc.

Please note that the NERIS Brainstorming meeting on 26th May 2020, next NERIS General Assembly on 27th May 2020 and next Workshop (27-29 May 2020) are canceled.

Next events

RRADEW Workshop - 24-25 March 2025 Lisbon, Portugal (APA)

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