Lessons from Chernobyl: More cooperation between the federal and state governments

Reactor block 4 of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (2011)

Thirty-five years after the Chernobyl reactor disaster, Germany is much better prepared for a radiological emergency than it was back then. In response to the devastating accident, Germany further expanded the network for monitoring environmental radioactivity, among other things. As a result, an early warning system was created so that the authorities can act quickly and appropriately in the event of a radiological emergency.

The Corona pandemic has shown us how important it is for the federal and state governments to work together in a crisis situation. The BfS is therefore in favour of further advancing the cooperation of the radiological emergency protection at the federal level and the authorities at the state level – especially with respect to disaster control.

On 26 April 1986, a serious accicent occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (located in what is now Ukraine). This released large amounts of radioactivity, which also spread towards Germany in the following days.

President of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Dr Inge Paulini

BfS President Inge Paulini emphasises that: "Germany has learned from the Chernobyl disaster and also from the reactor incident in Fukushima. Since then, radiation protection law has created the basis for a coordinated, uniform approach by all stakeholders. However, the Corona pandemic clearly demonstrates how challenging it is during prolonged crises to come to sound and comprehensible decisions. We therefore want to further intensify the exchange with the federal states. This is already happening with the emergency plans, which are currently being revised and supplemented."

Effects of the reactor disaster on Germany

The effects of the Chernobyl reactor disaster were also clearly noticeable in Germany. In the Bavarian Forest and south of the Danube, for example, up to 100,000 becquerels of radioactive caesium-137 per square metre (and in some cases even more) were deposited because of the weather conditions. In the North German Plain, on the other hand, the activity deposition of this radionuclide rarely exceeded 4,000 becquerels per square metre.

In addition to caesium-137, caesium-134, iodine-131, and other short-lived radionuclides were also responsible for the radiation exposure. The additional radiation exposure of an average person in the Bavarian Forest and south of the Danube over a lifetime roughly corresponds to the average natural radiation levels in Germany during one year.

The radioactive substances were deposited in forests, fields, and meadows, among other places. Especially in Southern Germany, this led to high iodine-131 concentrations in cow’s milk and leafy vegetables ready for harvest. Because of a lack of legal requirements, partially different limit values and measures were recommended at the federal and state levels.

Considerable progress in recent years

Since then, clear legislation has been created. In addition, a joint Integrated Measuring and Information System (IMIS) has been created under the responsibility of the federal government: Air, surface water, food, feed, soil, drinking water, groundwater, and waste are comprehensively and rapidly sampled, measured, and analysed. Part of this system is comprehensive and continuous radioactivity monitoring carried out with over 1,800 automatic probes.

The BfS is part of the Federal Radiological Situation Centre.

The Radiation Protection Act of 2017 further developed the precautions for radiological emergencies. Among other things, it provides for the establishment of the Federal Radiological Situation Centre under the direction of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. In the event of a radiological emergency, expertise is pooled, decisions are prepared, and measures are coordinated.

As part of the Federal Radiological Situation Centre, the BfS is responsible, among other things, for analysing the radiological situation. This analysis forms the basis of the radiological situation report of the federal government. This report is prepared by the Federal Radiological Situation Centre for the federal states in particular. In addition, BfS coordinates all measurements and compiles all data for the radiological situation report.

The situation today

Because of the decay of the radioactive substances, only the long-lived caesium-137 is relevant in Germany and Central Europe today. Of these, a little more than half have since disintegrated. In Germany, there are no longer any radiologically relevant levels of radioactivity in agriculturally produced foodstuffs such as cereals, meat, or milk. However, significantly elevated caesium-137 activities can still be measured in some edible mushrooms and game in some areas in southern Germany.

In order to be able to better assess the situation in Ukraine as well, BfS is planning a measurement campaign in the Chernobyl exclusion zone together with German and Ukrainian partner authorities. This will take place later this year.