More than 20 years the luminous spirit of spring is disturbed by gaunt memory of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl Nuclear power plant (NPP). Uneasiness is strengthened knowing the plans of our neighbors and our own regarding the construction of new NPPs. It is understood that new NPPs will have modern new generation reactors, which will be safe and will have less harmful impact on the environment and will be technologically well managed. However, sore experience after Chernobyl accident in spring of 1986 left the mark in the memory of people of Lithuania.
Chernobyl accident on 26th April 1986 is the biggest accident that happened at Nuclear Facilities. This catastrophe left traces in Lithuania too. The radionuclides with air masses, after explosion in the reactor, were traveling over Lithuania. Though it was not raining those days in Lithuania and the majority of radioactive cloud traveled to Scandinavia, some radionuclides were deposited in southern, south-western and western parts of Lithuania. After explosion environment was contaminated with radioactive iodine, strontium (Sr-90), cesium (Cs-137) and other radionuclides.
Ministry of Health organized the radiological assessment of foodstuff and products of animal origin, evaluation of the public exposure, provided recommendations regarding milk consumption by infants and indicated measures essential during the first days after the accident as well as long term measures.
RPC continues the radiological monitoring of drinking water and atmospheric precipitation, soil, wood and foodstuff – the products that are used in our daily routine. From 1998 RPC implements special monitoring program and measures contamination of specific radionuclides in mushrooms. Permissible radioactivity levels in mushrooms set by European Commission and validated in Lithuania are not exceeded in mushrooms from forests of Lithuania.
It is obvious that countries need nuclear energy, especially those that do not have any other energy resources like Lithuania. We have to reckon that State institutions and scientific research centers will put all their efforts in order to achieve adequate safety standards and minimize the probability of radiological accidents.