So that's how reindeer fly!
Oct. 6th, 2014 10:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
isabelladangeloFrom http://www.thelocal.no/20141006/radioactive-reindeer-found-in-norway
Almost 30 years after the nuclear plant explosion in Chernobyl, this autumn, more radioactivity has been measured in Norwegian grazing animals than has been noted in many years.
Lavrans Skuterud, a scientist at the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (Statens strålevern), said: “This year is extreme.”
In September, 8200 becquerel per kilo of the radioactive substance Caesium-137 was measured in reindeer from Våga reinlag AS, in Jotunheimen, central Norway.
In comparison, the highest amount at the same place was 1500 becquerel among the reindeer in September 2012.
The research also measured radioactivity in Norwegian sheep this year.
Both in Valdres in southwest Norway and Gudbrandsdalen in southeast Norway, 4500 becquerel per kilo meat from sheep was measured at most.
600 becquerel per kilo is the safe limit allowed for sheep meat to be sold for human consumption.
The Radiation Protection scientist is quite certain about the cause.
Lavrans Skuterud said: “This year, there has been extreme amounts of mushroom. In addition, the mushroom season has lasted for a long time. And the mushroom has grown very high up on the mountains.”
Especially the gypsy mushroom (Cortinarius Caperatus) has been a problem. This is a good food mushroom, both for people and animals. But it has one bad trait: It can absorb a lot of radioactivity.
Skuterud is still surprised by the high levels this year.
He reminds that: “The Chernobyl accident happened in 1986. It is nearly 30 years ago.”
The nuclear reactor of Chernobyl was made to be cheap and effective in its operation, but was regrettably also basically unstable, and one day in spring of 1986, everything went wrong.
Caesium-137 has a physical half-life of 30 years. This means that in two years, half of the radioactive dust that came in over Norway after the dramatic spring night in 1986, will be gone.
Skuterud explained: “The level of [radioactivity] in the environment still decreases faster than this. Some of it is washed out and most of it is bound to the soil. Only a small part of it is in circulation throughout the food chain. When we watch the values in the grazing animals in autumn, it bounces up and down, and it seems to be everlasting. But the winter values in reindeer luckily show a stable decrease.”
So this is why Rudolph's nose is glowing red and radioactive mushrooms help him to fly! :-)
Almost 30 years after the nuclear plant explosion in Chernobyl, this autumn, more radioactivity has been measured in Norwegian grazing animals than has been noted in many years.
Lavrans Skuterud, a scientist at the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (Statens strålevern), said: “This year is extreme.”
In September, 8200 becquerel per kilo of the radioactive substance Caesium-137 was measured in reindeer from Våga reinlag AS, in Jotunheimen, central Norway.
In comparison, the highest amount at the same place was 1500 becquerel among the reindeer in September 2012.
The research also measured radioactivity in Norwegian sheep this year.
Both in Valdres in southwest Norway and Gudbrandsdalen in southeast Norway, 4500 becquerel per kilo meat from sheep was measured at most.
600 becquerel per kilo is the safe limit allowed for sheep meat to be sold for human consumption.
The Radiation Protection scientist is quite certain about the cause.
Lavrans Skuterud said: “This year, there has been extreme amounts of mushroom. In addition, the mushroom season has lasted for a long time. And the mushroom has grown very high up on the mountains.”
Especially the gypsy mushroom (Cortinarius Caperatus) has been a problem. This is a good food mushroom, both for people and animals. But it has one bad trait: It can absorb a lot of radioactivity.
Skuterud is still surprised by the high levels this year.
He reminds that: “The Chernobyl accident happened in 1986. It is nearly 30 years ago.”
The nuclear reactor of Chernobyl was made to be cheap and effective in its operation, but was regrettably also basically unstable, and one day in spring of 1986, everything went wrong.
Caesium-137 has a physical half-life of 30 years. This means that in two years, half of the radioactive dust that came in over Norway after the dramatic spring night in 1986, will be gone.
Skuterud explained: “The level of [radioactivity] in the environment still decreases faster than this. Some of it is washed out and most of it is bound to the soil. Only a small part of it is in circulation throughout the food chain. When we watch the values in the grazing animals in autumn, it bounces up and down, and it seems to be everlasting. But the winter values in reindeer luckily show a stable decrease.”
So this is why Rudolph's nose is glowing red and radioactive mushrooms help him to fly! :-)
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no subject
Date: 2014-10-09 04:18 am (UTC)Edited to add a serious thought: That is really, really thought provoking, just how much and how long something like that can stay in the food chain. We really only get one chance to make the right decisions on these sort of things, don't we?
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Date: 2014-10-09 11:20 am (UTC)I think it might also, slightly, highlight some of the food issues. Reindeer is a common meat throughout Scandinavian. So, as long as the mushrooms are overly radioactive, so are the Reindeer - making both off limits. And who know for how long as the Reindeer might develop side effects from this.
It's due to similar issues with the amount of chemicals we have in our water that I currently use filters and really, really want to have well water at my next house. I've already proven I'm allergic to the water if I attempt to drink it straight from the tab. I know people who have had issues with eating beef or chicken due to their own corn allergies - I'm not that allergic although I do try to go with grass fed beef when I can.
It's not just you are what you eat - you are what your food eats as well.