Releases to the environment minimal from Olkiluoto power plant
About 300 samples from land, sea and air are collected every year from the environment around the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The results show that releases and emissions from the power plant are extremely low and below the permitted limit values with a good margin.
A baseline report was prepared regarding the Island of Olkiluto and its environment already years before electricity production started. The permanent radiation monitoring programme was launched in 1977, a year before the start-up of Olkiluoto 1. Apart from the monitoring programme, several continuously operating radiation detectors have been installed in the environment of the power plant; they are connected to the automatic monitoring network of external radiation set up by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK).
300 samples every year
The monitoring programme covers everything from land and air and also from the bottom of the sea. About 300 samples are collected every year from the environment of the power plant. In addition to external radiation, radioactive levels are measured in samples of air, deposit, plants, drinking water, foodstuffs, seawater, fish, aquatic plants, bottom fauna and sediment. A group of people who live near the power plant are also under regular monitoring.
The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority takes most of the samples itself, but STUK also receives samples from TVO as well as from the local dairy, grain storage and slaughterhouse. TVO is in charge of e.g. the air sample collectors. All the samples included in the radiation monitoring programme are analysed by STUK.
In addition to the radiation monitoring programme, the quality of seawater is also monitored by collecting 40-50 water samples from the sea area around the Olkiluoto Island; more than 100 analyses related to water quality are carried out on these samples. Aquatic plants are monitored by means of line transect diving surveys implemented every six years.
Plant improvements have reduced releases
Releases and emissions from the Olkiluoto power plant into the environment are extremely low and below the permitted limit values with a good margin. Food samples, for example, show no radioactive substances originating from the power plant even in extremely high-precision measurements. Small amounts of radioactive substances from water released from the power plant can be detected in aquatic plants, bottom fauna and sediments. The amounts are so minute, however, that they have no effect on health, and e.g. fish do not contain any radioactivity. The upgrades of the power plant units designed to reduce releases and emissions have also considerably decreased these amounts.
In 2012, noble gas emissions from the power plant to air were 0.01% and iodine emissions 0.02% of the permitted regulatory limits. Releases of radioactive fission products and activation products to water were 0.07% and tritium emissions 7.1% of the permitted regulatory limits.
Sphagnum moss is also included in the sampling program. Photo: Hannu Huovila
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