Some of the stations within the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council''s network of radiation monitors have found "light" increases in certain areas in the concentration of iodine and cesium in the air coming from the direction of Japan. However, they say they are "very low" quantities which have no effect on health or the environment.

Between March 16th and 29th, the most highly sensitive radiation monitoring centres have detected in Barcelona, Bilbao, Caceres and Sevilla indices ranging from 0.9 milliBecquerels to 0.002 milliBecquerels per cubic meter.

The Nuclear Safety Council places reportable levels at 40 milliBecquerels, Council sources have revealed.

The levels reported, they say, "are not important from the point of view of radiological protection given that, in any case, they are very low and do not pose any danger to people''s health or to the environment."

Furthermore, the radiation levels detected are "similar" to those being observed in other European countries.

According to the Nuclear Safety Council, the measures in question were "foreseeable, in accordance with models of atmospheric dispersion and meteorological data from previous days."

Air masses from the Fukushima nuclear plant are expected to travel towards the east coast of Japan and the Pacific Ocean in the next 48 hours.

Spain''s regulating authority is continuing to track the situation in Japan, in collaboration with other international authorities.