Tiina Sojakka – biosphere specialist

12.4.2024

According to Wikipedia, the biosphere is the zone of life on Earth. So what does a biosphere specialist do at Posiva?

Tiina Sojakka’s duties as a biosphere specialist have included the monitoring of the surface environment.

Tiina Sojakka, the only specialist who works at Posiva under this title, chuckles at the question.

- I was involved in the biosphere and dose estimation project that produced documentation for the safety case in Posiva’s operating licence application. It modelled the development of the surface environment at Olkiluoto and the passage of radionuclides in the future biosphere. I also took part in Posiva’s monitoring programme, where I was responsible for the monitoring of the surface environment. That is where my title comes from, Ms Sojakka says.

Nowadays, only a small part of Ms Sojakka’s work is connected to the biosphere.

These tasks include the commissioning of an environmental radiation monitoring programme at Posiva, as well as any possible biosphere specialist duties that arrive through Posiva Solutions. Most of my time is spent with the aspect of long-term safety.

- A while ago, Posiva still had two biosphere specialists, but Juho Kuusisto, who participated in the biosphere and dose estimation project with Ms Sojakka, now works under the title of expert. For example, Mr Kuusisto is currently renovating Posiva’s POTTI database that is used for storing all the research data for Olkiluoto. In return, the database will provide various types of measurement and research data regarding areas such as geophysics measurements and groundwater studies.

Active role in the field of long-term safety

A biologist and Bachelor of Environmental Engineering by education, Ms Sojakka is active in Posiva’s long-term safety management group, which is chaired by Lasse Koskinen.

- Lasse leads the activities in the group; my main duty is to ensure that matters are assessed on schedule.

Among other things, the tasks of the long-term safety management group include the assessment of the long-term safety significance of changes to requirements and design as well as the assessment of new findings and significant research results from the perspective of long-term safety.

Ms Sojakka also participates in the new projects of the Kapseli programme, which are currently assessing the possible long-term safety impacts of alternative canister manufacturing methods.

During her eight years at Posiva, Tiina Sojakka has also participated actively in visits by Posiva’s key stakeholders as an ONKALO^® guide.

The biosphere is the part of the Earth’s surface where life is possible. Nowadays, only a small part of Ms Sojakka’s work is connected to the biosphere.