From Chernobyl to Uppsala – Radonova Featured in New Documentary Series

In mid-December, a television crew from Swedish public broadcaster SVT visited Radonova’s laboratory in Uppsala, Sweden. The visit was part of the production of an upcoming documentary series about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

During the filming, the focus was on measurements of cesium-137, an area that today lies outside Radonova’s core business, which primarily concerns the measurement and analysis of radon. At the same time, cesium plays an important role in the company’s history and origins.

“It was clear that the team knew exactly what they were looking for and how they wanted to tell the story. They filmed several stages of the laboratory work and asked me to explain what happens at each step,” says Maria Lindkvist, Quality Responsible at Radonova.

Roots in the Chernobyl disaster
When the nuclear accident at Chernobyl occurred in 1986, Sweden was heavily affected by radioactive fallout. Some regions received significantly higher levels than others - something that can still be observed in the environment today. In the aftermath of the accident, there was a widespread need to measure cesium in food and nature, particularly in game meat, freshwater fish, and mushrooms.

It was in this context that Radonova was originally founded.

“In the beginning, our operations focused specifically on cesium measurements. After a few years, we also began working with radon, which is now our core business. However, we have always retained the expertise and capacity to measure cesium,” says Maria Lindkvist.

Although cesium is no longer as widespread a problem as radon, measurements show that the issue remains relevant. A significant proportion of the food samples analyzed by Radonova exceed the national limit of 1,500 Bq/kg.

“This is particularly true in areas that received heavy fallout after the accident. Environmental mapping together with the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and the Swedish Food Agency shows that local levels can still be high. That’s why it’s important that this type of measurement capability remains in place,” she says.

Years of experience attracted international interest
The documentary team’s choice of Radonova was no coincidence. The company has worked with cesium for several decades, has well-established methodologies, and access to specialized equipment. Radonova is currently one of the few, if not the only, laboratory in Sweden offering accredited cesium measurements.

“We have long-standing experience and work with this continuously, even though it’s not our focus. That made us a natural point of contact for the production,” says Maria Lindkvist.

The filming took place over one day and followed the laboratory’s regular work flow. According to Maria, the overall impression afterward was that the team obtained the material they were looking for.

“It felt like everything went smoothly and that they were satisfied with their content and footage. Now we’ll just have to wait and see what the final program looks like.”

This is also not the first time Radonova’s work with cesium has attracted media attention. Around ten years ago, the BBC produced a report that included Radonova. Continued interest shows that the consequences of Chernobyl are still part of our present day and that knowledge, measurement, and long-term expertise continue to play an important role.