Information report from IRSN following the incident at the SCK-CEN facilities in Mol (Belgium)

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  • Crisis

28/05/2019
Release of Selenium 75 from the SCK-CEN facilities in Mol (Belgium)
Release of Selenium 75 from the SCK-CEN facilities in Mol (Belgium)

The Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN) in Mol (Belgium) and the Belgian Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) have announced on May 16, 2019, an incident inside the BR2 research reactor for the production of Selenium 75 sources for gammagraphy tests.

Following this incident, some Selenium 75 has been released in the atmosphere and has been detected at low concentrations on aerosol filters from several air monitoring stations belonging to IRSN in the Lille area and in the northwestern part of France.

The sampling and measurement missions carried out by IRSN on the ground in the areas concerned by the passage of the plume did not reveal traces of deposits of Selenium 75. The dosimetric evaluation of the IRSN shows levels of extremely low exposure with no health impact for the population and no special radiation protection measures.

 

Download IRSN information ​report of May 28, 2019 (PDF)