Fires in Chernobyl, no radiological risk for Italy.

Not only in Ukrainian public opinion, the situation of fires that are developing within the so-called "exclusion zone", an area that extends for 30 km around the Chernobyl plant, is of concern (we had already talked about it here).

The radioactivity that may be present in the air masses that evolve throughout the region can go beyond Ukrainian borders and if the Italian territory is affected, it will depend on weather conditions on a continental scale.

In any case, the possible fallout that could be expected on our territory from the arrival of air from the fire region, at most will concern the presence of traces of radioactivity in the air. A presence that can only be detected thanks to the now high level of sensitivity achieved by the sophisticated environmental radioactivity monitoring systems that we have, but which does not constitute any health hazard and is not relevant from a radiological point of view.

This, although an increase in the fires front has been recorded.

According to Ukrainian sources, the fires are moving towards more internal areas of the "exclusion zone" and, therefore, areas with greater radio-ecological potential as well as closer to the installations of the plant. According to the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management, the outbreaks of fire that, due to the strong wind, were closest to the plants of the plant and other structures in the area, were contained and extinguished, without damages.

ISIN continues to monitor the situation, including through international circuits for the rapid exchange of information for radiological events. The possible presence of traces of Cesio-137 on the national territory due to the fires in progress is ensured by the laboratories of the regional agencies and the autonomous provinces and of the Zooprophylactic Experimental Institutes, which belong to the RESORAD Network, of which ISIN exercises the technical coordination.