RIFE - 15 Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2009 Northern Ireland Environment www.ni-environment.gov.uk Agency 2010 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY NORTHERN IRELAND ENVIRONMENT AGENCY SCOTTISH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2009 RIFE – 15 October 2010 This report was compiled by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science on behalf of the Environment Agency, Food Standards Agency, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Printed on paper made from a minimum 75% de-inked post-consumer waste. Front cover photograph: Durdle Door. Published with the kind permission of the Environment Agency Inside cover photograph: Reproduced with kind permission of the Health Protection Agency © Crown Copyright, 2010 Requests for the reproduction of materials contained in this report and for other information should be addressed to: • in England and Wales, Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Team of the Environment Agency ([email protected]) or the Chemical Safety Division of the Food Standards Agency ([email protected]) • in Scotland, the Radioactive Substances Unit of SEPA ([email protected]) and • in Northern Ireland, the Industrial Pollution and Radiochemical Inspectorate of NIEA ([email protected]) Contents Page LIST OF TABLES ..............................................................................................................................................................5 LIST OF FIGURES..............................................................................................................................................................7 PREFACE ........................................................................................................................................................................9 TECHNICAL SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................11 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................21 1.1 Background............................................................................................................................................21 1.1.1 Purpose and scope of the monitoring programmes ..........................................................................21 1.1.2 Dose assessments ............................................................................................................................22 1.2 Disposals of radioactive waste ................................................................................................................22 1.2.1 Radioactive waste disposal from nuclear sites ..................................................................................22 1.2.2 International agreements, the UK Discharge Strategy and building new nuclear power stations........24 1.2.3 Managing radioactive liabilities in the UK ........................................................................................26 1.2.4 Protecting the environment ..............................................................................................................27 1.2.5 Solid radioactive waste disposal at sea..............................................................................................27 1.2.6 Other sources of radioactivity ..........................................................................................................28 1.2.7 Food irradiation ...............................................................................................................................29 2. Nuclear fuel production and reprocessing....................................................................................................31 2.1 Capenhurst, Cheshire.............................................................................................................................32 2.2 Springfields, Lancashire .........................................................................................................................33 2.3 Sellafield, Cumbria ................................................................................................................................36 2.3.1 Gaseous discharges ..........................................................................................................................39 2.3.2 Liquid discharges..............................................................................................................................39 2.3.3 Monitoring of unusual pathways ......................................................................................................51 2.3.4 Doses to the public ..........................................................................................................................51 2.4 Windscale, Cumbria ..............................................................................................................................57 3. Research establishments ...............................................................................................................................95 3.1 Culham, Oxfordshire ..............................................................................................................................95 3.2 Dounreay, Highland................................................................................................................................95 3.3 Harwell, Oxfordshire ..............................................................................................................................99 3.4 Winfrith, Dorset ...................................................................................................................................100 3.5 Minor sites ..........................................................................................................................................101 3.5.1 Imperial College Reactor Centre, Ascot, Berkshire ..........................................................................102 3.5.2 Scottish Universities’ Environmental Research Centre, South Lanarkshire ........................................102 4. Nuclear power stations ................................................................................................................................111 4.1 Berkeley, Gloucestershire and Oldbury, South Gloucestershire ..............................................................112 4.2 Bradwell, Essex ....................................................................................................................................113 4.3 Dungeness, Kent ..................................................................................................................................115 4.4 Hartlepool, Cleveland ..........................................................................................................................117 4.5 Heysham, Lancashire ............................................................................................................................118 4.6 Hinkley Point, Somerset........................................................................................................................119 4.7 Sizewell, Suffolk ..................................................................................................................................120 4.8 Chapelcross, Dumfries and Galloway....................................................................................................121 4.9 Hunterston, North Ayrshire ..................................................................................................................122 4.10 Torness, East Lothian ............................................................................................................................123 4.11 Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd ........................................................................................................................124 4.12 Wylfa, Isle of Anglesey ........................................................................................................................125 3 5. Defence establishments ..............................................................................................................................155 5.1 Aldermaston, Berkshire ........................................................................................................................155 5.2 Barrow, Cumbria ..................................................................................................................................156 5.3 Derby, Derbyshire ................................................................................................................................156 5.4 Devonport, Devon ................................................................................................................................157 5.5 Faslane and Coulport, Argyll and Bute..................................................................................................158 5.6 Holy Loch, Argyll and Bute ..................................................................................................................159 5.7 Rosyth, Fife ..........................................................................................................................................159 5.8 Vulcan NRTE, Highland ........................................................................................................................160