CHINA

17th October 2017 - Contaminated Banknotes

Extracts:

The cash triggered an alarm when passing through the radioactivity monitoring system inspection process at Pudong International Airport on October 10. The notes contained a high level of radioactivity. They were being carried in the bag of a male passenger. They were found to contain Americium-241 - a highly toxic radioactive substance, according to the Shanghai Airport Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. Americium-241 has a half-life of 433 years.

Furthermore, it promotes the formation of cancer cells because of its radioactivity. If cash is contaminated by radioactivity, it poses a serious threat because banknotes are circulated quickly, bureau officials said. It is also difficult to track the source of contamination during circulation and users are usually unaware of the risks, the officials added.

Comment:

Americium-241 is mainly an alpha radiation emitter, and is a significant health risk if ingested or inhaled. Americium-241 is the decay daughter of Plutonium-241.

The Americium-241 on banknotes raises lots of questions that need to be answered!

It should be ringing alarm bells!

We have been having a discussion at CafeRadLab about the contaminated Chinese cash here.

http://caferadlab.com/thread-2124.html

Article:

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/database/index.php?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=HZ-20171017-60249-CHN

SWEDEN

6th October 2017 - Radioactive wild boar spark concerns in Sweden 31 years after Chernobyl

Extracts:

One animal shot by hunters was found to have more than 10 times the safe level of radiation.  The high radiation levels - which come 31 years after the Chernobyl disaster sent a cloud of radioactive dust over Sweden — have left hunters afraid to kill and eat the animals.

“This is the highest level we’ve ever measured,” he told the Telegraph, after testing an animal in Tärnsjö, a village between the cities of Uppsala and Gävle, with a radiation level of 16,000 becquerel per kilogram (Bq/kg).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/06/radioactive-wild-boar-spark-fear-sweden/

Southern Hemisphere October 2017 Background Report. (32% above Average)

Station locations

http://sccc.org.au/monitoring/Australian-Map.jpg

This short animation of Northern and Southern Hemisphere air circulation, shows why we can get detections so far south.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh011eAYjAA

Report

Caloundra October 2017 - The elevated background level increases we are seeing in the October 2017 chart have also coincided with a significant increase in Radon detection in the local atmosphere. The amount of Radon detected locally has increased significantly since September 2017.  In September Radon levels stayed below 0.1 pCi/l for the majority of the month. At times in October it has reached up into 3 pCi/l.

During this period there was a high pressure system sitting between Australia and New Zealand. It was bringing air flows from the West coast of New Zealand and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, to this location. This suggests the Radon source is from the recent volcanic activity in Northern New Zealand, and earthquake releases in the Eastern Pacific. (Local live Radon monitoring chart.)

The recent Radon increases would have been a contributing factor to the October elevated background levels, but not the only factor.

Caloundra October month average, year comparisons.

2017    32% above pre-Fukushima average
2016    22% above pre-Fukushima average
2015    12% above pre-Fukushima average
2014    14% above pre-Fukushima average
2013    25% above pre-Fukushima average
2012    19% above pre-Fukushima average

October day average chart, (What the bar chart colour codes mean.)

http://sccc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Caloundra-local-average-background-radiation-levels-October-2017.jpg

Year and month average local background radiation levels from 2007 to 2017.

http://sccc.org.au/yearly-average-background-radiation-levels

Disclaimer: This is an amateur volunteer run service. Human error can provide incorrect information, and equipment malfunction can produce false readings. Do not rely on, or take action upon information presented here, without further research.