Radioactivity in Food and the Environment,25th edition 2019 RIFE - 24 Radioactivity in Food and RIFE - 23 the Environment, 2018 .uk -ni.gov daera www. Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2017 2019 RIFE - 22 .uk -ni.gov daera www. 2018 .uk -ni.gov daera www. Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2016 2017 RIFE - 21 .uk -ni.gov daera www. 2016 Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2015 Summary of Radioactivity in Food Summary of Radioactivity and the Environment (2004–2016) RIFE - 20 - RIFE in Food and the Environment 2015 2004-2008 2003 Environment, the Radioactivity in Food and Food in Radioactivity Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2004 RIFE - 10 2004 Radioactivity in Food and Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2005 RIFE - 11 the Environment, 2006 RIFE - 12 t d d en an el Ir nm cy rn rn ro he vi rt Agen En No uk Radioactivity in v. 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RIFE - 17 Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2011 www. 2005 RIFEni-environment.gov.uk - 18Norther Environmentn Ireland the Environment, 2012 Agency RIFE - 19 - RIFE www. ni-environment.gov.uk Norther 2008 Environmentn Ireland Agency 2009 the Environment, 2004 Environment, the Radioactivity in Food and Food Radioactivityin in FoodRadioactivity and RIFE - 19 Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2013 RIFE - 20 www. the Environment, 2014 ni-environment.gov.uk Norther 2010 Environmentn Ireland Agency www. ni-environment.gov.uk Norther Agency 2011 Environmentn Ireland Environment Agency Northern Ireland Ireland Northern ni-environment.gov.uk Radioactivity in Food and www. the Environment, 2015 RIFE - 21 2013 Radioactivity in Food and RIFE - 22 www. the Environment, 2016 ni-e No nvir rt onment.gov hern 2012 Envi Irelan .uk Agen ronm d cy ent www. ni-environment.gov.uk Northern Ireland 2013 Environment Agency 2006 the Environment, 2013 Environment, the Radioactivity in Food and and Food in Radioactivity www .ni-environment.go No 2014 rthe En rn Ir v. vi elan uk Agen ronm d cy ent 2015 t en RIFE - 10 - RIFE d d cy nm an el Ir ro Agen vi rn rn he En k .u rt No 2016 www. daera -ni.gov .uk onment.gov ir nv 2017 www. daera -e ni -ni.gov .uk 2012 w. ww the Environment, 2005 Environment, the RIFE - 18 - RIFE 2007 1995 – 2019 and Food in Radioactivity www. Agency daera Ireland Ireland n Environment -ni.gov 2011 Norther ni-environment.gov.uk .uk www. 20 08 the Environment, 2012 Environment, the Radioactivity in Food and and Food in Radioactivity 2010 2009 www. ni-environment.gov.uk Agency Agency Environment ni-environment.gov.uk ni-environment.gov.uk www. Agency Ireland Ireland n n Norther Environment Norther n Ireland Ireland www. ni-environment.gov.uk Agency Environment RIFE - 11 - RIFE Norther n Ireland Ireland the Environment, 2006 Environment, the Radioactivity in Food and and Food in Radioactivity RIFE - 17 - RIFE the Environment, 2011 Environment, the Radioactivity in Food and and Food in Radioactivity h niomn,2007 Environment, the RIFE - 12 - RIFE aiatvt in Radioactivity IE-16 - RIFE h niomn,2010 Environment, the Fo aiatvt nFo and Food in Radioactivity dand od h niomn,2008 Environment, the h niomn,2009 Environment, the aiatvt nFo and Food in Radioactivity aiatvt nFo and Food in Radioactivity IE- RIFE 13 15 ­ RIFE IE-14 - RIFE .uk -ni.gov daera www. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY FOOD STANDARDS SCOTLAND NATURAL RESOURCES WALES NORTHERN IRELAND ENVIRONMENT AGENCY SCOTTISH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2019 RIFE – 25 November 2020 This report was compiled by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science on behalf of the Environment Agency, Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, Natural Resources Wales, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Printed on paper made from a minimum 75% de-inked post-consumer waste. Inside cover photograph: Reproduced with kind permission of University of Stirling/SEPA. © Crown Copyright, 2020 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]), Food Policy Division of the Food Standards Agency ([email protected]) or Natural Resources Wales ([email protected]) • in Scotland, the Radioactive Substances Unit of SEPA ([email protected]) or Food Standards Scotland ([email protected]) and • in Northern Ireland, the Industrial Pollution and Radiochemical Inspectorate of NIEA ([email protected]) Foreword The UK’s environmental regulators and food safety 2019 throughout the UK by the Environment Agency, Food agencies are delighted to present the 25th anniversary Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, Northern edition of the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment Ireland Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and (RIFE) report. This year marks a quarter of a century since the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. the landmark RIFE report was first published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1996; the first joint Monitoring results and subsequent assessments monitoring and assessment report for the whole of the UK. demonstrate that radioactivity in food and the environment is safe. The exposure of members of the public to radiation Radioactive substances and radiation have had many resulting from authorised discharges of radioactive waste beneficial uses including in medicine, hospitals and in and direct radiation near nuclear and non-nuclear sites was power generation. They are unlikely to be harmful if well below legal limits in 2019. controlled in the right way. Suitable regulation aims to ensure these benefits, whilst keeping people and Over the past 25 years, the RIFE publication has evolved the environment safe. Our combined independent into its current format and will continue to develop in monitoring of radioactivity in food and the environment future reports. In addition to the annual RIFE reports, RIFE is an important part of our regulatory process and fulfils trends reports have provided more detailed examination a vital reassurance role. The RIFE monitoring programme from the compilation of results over a number of years. supports the requirements of the permitting legislation across the UK, together with a number of other national RIFE 25 acknowledges the significant effort and and international agreements, policies, regulations and commitment of a large number of people, who have standards. contributed in so many different ways over many years, and of the organisations that have participated and In common with previous issues of this report, RIFE 25 supported the sample collection and analysis, the habits sets out the findings of the monitoring programmes of surveys and RIFE reporting programmes. radioactivity in food and the environment carried out in Dr Jo Nettleton, Deputy Director of Radioactive Rebecca Sudworth, Director of Policy Substances and Installations Regulation FSA Environment Agency David Harley, Acting Chief Officer Circular Economy Geoff Ogle, Chief Executive SEPA FSS Tim Irwin, Acting Director of Resource Efficiency Isobel Moore, Head of Regulation & Permitting NIEA NRW Foreword 3 General Summary Radioactivity is all around us. It occurs naturally in the Agency (IAEA) safety standards. The peer review noted earth’s crust and it can be found in the food we eat, areas of good practice and some areas for improvement. the water we drink and the air we breathe. We are also The UK’s environmental regulators will continue to work exposed to man-made radioactivity, such as in medical with partners to continuously improve protection of applications used in hospitals and nuclear power. It is a the public and the environment. The review report and legal requirement to make sure the amount of man-made government response is available on https://www.gov.uk/ radioactivity that people are exposed to from discharges government/publications/nuclear-and-radiological- is kept within a safe limit. Around the world strict safety-review-of-the-uk-framework-2019. regulations are in place to protect the general public and the environment. The headlines from the 2019 RIFE programme are: In the UK, the exposure to man-made radioactivity in the For all sites environment mainly comes from releases from UK nuclear sites. Each year, the environmental regulators and food • Exposure of the public from all sources of man-made safety agencies publish their Radioactivity in Food and the radioactivity in food and the environment was low Environment (RIFE) report. The RIFE programme monitors and well within the legal limit of 1 millisievert per the environment and the diet of people who live or work year*, demonstrating that radioactivity in food and the near nuclear sites throughout the UK. The report brings environment is safe. together all the results of monitoring of radioactivity in • Overall, between 2018 and 2019 there were no major food and the environment by the RIFE partners. changes of radioactivity measured in food and the environment. This year marks 25 years since the landmark RIFE report was published; the first joint monitoring and assessment For nuclear sites report for the whole of the UK. • In 2019, people living around the Cumbrian coast (near The main aim of the RIFE programme is to monitor the Sellafield), Capenhurst, Amersham and Springfields environment and the diet of people who live or work near were the most exposed from releases of radioactivity.