Iodine-131 Detected in Europe

On November 11th, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a press statement concerning trace amounts of Iodine-131 that have been detected across Europe. According to Reuters, elevated levels of Iodine-131 had been detected in The Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Sweden. At the time of the press release, the source of the radiation was unknown, but the IAEA addressed health concerns with the statement:

"The IAEA believes the current trace levels of iodine-131 that have been measured do not pose a public health risk and are not caused by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan."

The media responded in a typically alarmist fashion, raising public concerns over a release that was only slightly above background levels. Six days later, the IAEA issued another press release disclosing that the source of the radiation had been determined:

"The IAEA has received information from the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA) that the source of the iodine-131 (I-131) detected in Europe was most probably a release to the atmosphere from the Institute of Isotopes Ltd., Budapest. The Institute of Isotopes Ltd. produces radioisotopes for healthcare, research and industrial applications."

Also contained in the press release was an analysis of the radiation exposure caused by the release. Radiation dosages are measured in Sieverts; the average person receives about 2400 microsieverts per year from background radiation levels. If a person were to breathe in Iodine-131 for one year at the levels detected in this “Mysterious Radiation Cloud” (which is unlikely considering Iodine-131 has a half-life of only 8 days), they would accumulate an effective dose of only 0.01 microsieverts.