Wood pellets ash – radioactive contamination and cesium 137 measured values

"Two of these accidents – the Kyshtim accident in the Urals in the USSR (now the Russian Federation) in 1957 and the #Chernobyl accident in the USSR (now Ukraine) in 1986 – resulted in significant contamination of thousands of square kilometers of forest land with radionuclide mixtures, including long-lived fission products such as Cs 137 and Sr 90. Measurements and modeling of forest ecosystems after both accidents have shown that after initial contamination, the activity concentration of long-lived radionuclides in wood gradually increases over one to two decades and slowly decreases over the following decades. The longevity of contamination is due to the slow migration and persistent bioavailability of radionuclides in the forest soil profile, leading to long-term transfer into wood through the tree root system.

The transfer of cesium-137 from the soil into the wood of trees is relatively low. Wood from Germany is radiobiological harmless to humans. In the #ashes, however, the radiocesium activity can be up to 100 times higher than in wood."

#WoodPellets #WoodBurning #NoNewNukes #NoNukes #Fukushima #AtomkraftNeinDanke #AntiAtom

Read more: https://www.umweltanalysen.com/en/radioactivity/wood-pellets-ash/

Australia rules out some #biomass for energy as Europe debates changes in its policy supporting #woodpellets. The industry says pellets are needed to meet climate goals and safeguards are working. #WFAE https://www.wfae.org/energy-environment/2023-02-13/australia-rules-out-wood-pellets-for-energy-as-europe-debates-changes

#MendocinoCounty 🔥💨 Local tribes, activists and statewide organizations are joining forces to demand closure of the #Calpella wood pellet plant during the COVID-19 pandemic. #woodpellets
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/05/18835692.php