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Bellona nuclear digest. May 2024
A survey of events in the field of nuclear and radiation safety relating to Russia and Ukraine.
News
Publish date: June 23, 1997
Written by: Igor Kudrik
News
On June 17, at 10:50 Moscow time, malfunctioning research equipment led to strong emissions of neutron rays at a laboratory in Arzamas-16 (Sarov), Nizhny Novgorod county. The researcher who was in the room at the time of the accident, received some 200 Rem and was brought to Hospital no. 6 in Moscow.
Contradictory to Minatom statements to the effect that there is a cure available for people exposed to such high doses of radiation, the researcher died on June 20. He was unconscious a the time of death.
Currently, a committee established by Minatom is trying to unravel the reasons to and consequences of the accident in Arzamas-16, where an "incomplete" chain reaction occurred; probably as a result of malfunctioning research equipment. The commission is having difficulties when trying to penetrate to the room where the accident happened, reports RIA News.
According to Minatom officials, there were no discharge of radiation to the environment.
A survey of events in the field of nuclear and radiation safety relating to Russia and Ukraine.
But it’s unlikely to impact emissions from shipping along the Northern Sea Route.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution and climate change.
The following op-ed, written by Bellona’s Charles Digges, originally appeared in The Moscow Times. In recent months, the Russian nuclear in...