Is it possible to swim on the discharge side of the cooling water channel?Swimming is forbidden on the discharge side for safety reasons due to the strong current of the cooling water. The heat carried to the sea in the cooling water has no adverse effects on the health of anybody swimming in the sea area. Can fish caught from the cooling water discharge area be eaten?Yes. The heat of the cooling water does not affect fish in any way. Can berries growing near the power plant be eaten?Yes. Grapes, for example, are actually grown in Olkiluoto utilising the heat of the cooling water. Is there any rare wildlife near the plant? Birdwatchers sometimes see quite rare bird species in the cooling water discharge area in Olkiluoto. A rare butterfly, the Clouded Apollo, is found on the island. Otherwise the nature in Olkiluoto represents a normal environment in Western Finland in terms of fauna and flora. Is there radiation in cooling water?The seawater used for cooling is not in contact with the process water and does not become radioactive as it runs through the turbine condenser.Radioactivity is released from the plant into the sea, however. Where does it come from?Wastewater from the laundry of the power plant, for example, is treated in the waste processing building. The wastewater contains small amounts of radioactive substances. The water is purified and then pumped into the discharge channel of the cooling water. Does radiation dissolve in water? Radiation does not dissolve in water. Dissolution is a chemical phenomenon and not associated with radiation. In fact, water acts as an excellent barrier to radiation. Is there more radiation near the nuclear power plant than elsewhere in the nature?No. The amount of radiation is equal to normal background radiation e.g. in the Visitors' Centre in Olkiluoto.Are radiation levels monitored in and near the power plant area?The nearest continuously-operating radiation monitoring points are located within the plant site and the furthest in the town of Rauma, at a distance of ca. 15 km from the plant. Can people work at the power plant without protective equipment against radiation?In most work areas yes, but not everywhere. Radiation protection, such as lead mats to cover components with are needed in work carried out during annual outages – rarely during power operation. The need for protective equipment is determined on the basis of radiation measurements before work is started. When employees work in a radioactive area, do they catch radioactivity that can be passed on to their family members? Radiation is not contagious and does not make people "radioactive". In order to prevent the employees from carrying any radioactive particles home, all employees have to leave the controlled area through a personnel monitor, which checks their skin and clothing for radioactivity,How much extra radiation are nuclear power plant employees exposed to?On average 1-2 mSv/a (millisievert per year). The maximum permitted annual dose of the employees is 50 mSv; however, the total dose received over a period of five years may not exceed 100 mSv. In practice, the highest radiation doses have been clearly below these limits both in Olkiluoto and in Loviisa. The average annual radiation dose of Finnish people in general is 3.7 mSv. By far the most of this dose comes from natural sources. The radon released from the soil and building materials alone accounts for ca. 2 mSv of the dose. The doses received by the employees are reported in e.g. TVO's social responsibility report.Do nuclear power plant employees have a radiation leave and are they paid extra radiation compensation? They have no radiation leave and no extra radiation compensation is paid, either. Have health defects caused by radiation been found in the children of nuclear power plant employees? No health defects have been found. As a rule, women do not work in the controlled area during pregnancy. Are the radiation doses of the employees monitored? If yes, how? What about outage personnel? The radiation doses of all employees working in the control area are monitored by means of personal dosimeters.