Forest fires in Chernobyl no danger for Germany

Measuring probe for radioactivity monitoring in Germany (dose rate probe)

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) would like to point out that the current forest fires in the Chernobyl area pose no threat to Germany. This also applies if even larger areas are affected by the fires. The BfS is continually monitoring the situation.

The BfS has been continually monitoring the situation in the Ukraine since the fires became known on 4 April 2020:

• There have been no elevated readings in Germany.
• If radioactive material stirred up by the fires was carried to Germany by air masses due to windflows from Tschernobyl, the radioactive material would be extremely diluted during the long transport route in the atmosphere.
• The amounts of radioactive material that could reach Germany would be so small that they would be difficult to detect even with highly sensitive measuring instruments.

Findings from previous fires in Chernobyl

There have been numerous forest fires in the vicinity of Chernobyl, most recently in 2015 and 2017. The BfS used this as an opportunity to examine the possible effects on Germany.

Even under unfavourable weather conditions and with forest fires much larger than now, the effect on Germany would still be negligible. In this case, there would be no danger to human health or to the environment in Germany.

Forest fires in contaminated areas can release radioactive substances into the atmosphere and cause them to spread. The BfS has therefore prepared a radiological assessment of the situation. Slightly increased radiation levels were measured in the Ukraine outside the restricted zone However, these levels present no health risk.

Radioactivity is monitored nationwide

The BfS monitors radioactivity in Germany with around 1,800 measuring probes nationwide and with one of the world's leading stations for measuring atmospheric radioactivity. This is located on the Schauinsland Mountain near Freiburg. Health-relevant increases in radioactivity would thus be reliably detected.