Menu

Flash

Spain : The radioactive fertilizers coming from Morocco will be marketed

DR
Estimated read time: 1'

Held this weekend in a bunker at the Valencia port in Spain, three trucks coming from Morocco and carrying fertilizers for a company called Silla will finally be able to deliver their goods, said Thursday the Spanish daily newspaper Levante. On Sunday, the Nuclear Security Center (CSN) decided to isolate the trucks after discovering that the loads they carried were radioactive. However, after that the center authorized the trucks to market their loads.

Indeed, the Spanish authorities stated that the amount of irradiation is «acceptable» and «safe for the people and the environment». Meanwhile, Levante pointed out that the Moroccan exporter «will be punished for administrative offenses», since the fertilizers were exposed to an unauthorized amount of radiation.

In addition to that, the Spanish newspaper noted that «the fixed spectrometer has determined the existence of five radioactive isotopes in the three trucks : Innocuous uranium238, gallium266 and radium66, present in nature. But it also detected the presence of plutonium286 and enriched uranium235.»

It also recalled that these two last substances, also detected by the spectrometer, are produced for a main use, namely for the fuel of nuclear reactors in a power plant.

Levante indicated that «a second attempt performed by officers reconfirmed the presence of the five elements». A third test conducted by a company approved by the CSN, meanwhile, indicated the absence of enriched uranium and plutonium286. The cargo was thus allowed to be delivered to the Spanish importers.

Be the first one to comment on our articles...