RIFE - 12 Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2006 2007 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE SERVICE FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY SCOTTISH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2006 RIFE - 12 November 2007 1 This report was compiled by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science on behalf of the Environment Agency, Environment and Heritage Service, Food Standards Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Printed on paper made from a minimum 75% de-inked post-consumer waste. Photograph reproduced with kind permission of the Health Protection Agency © Crown Copyright, 2007 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 Emergency Planning, Radiation and Incidents Division of the Food Standards Agency (radiological.surveillance@ foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk) • In Scotland, the Radioactive Substances Unit of SEPA ([email protected]) and • In Northern Ireland, the Industrial Pollution and Radiochemical Inspectorate of EHS ([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 and the UK discharge strategy ...................................................................24 1.2.3 Managing radioactive liabilities in the UK ..........................................................................................24 1.2.4 Regulator strategies and reviews .......................................................................................................25 1.2.5 Solid radioactive waste disposal at sea ..............................................................................................26 1.2.6 Other sources of radioactivity ............................................................................................................26 1.2.7 Food irradiation ................................................................................................................................27 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 ...........................................................................................................................36 2.3.2 Liquid discharges ..............................................................................................................................36 2.3.3 Monitoring of unusual pathways .......................................................................................................48 2.3.4 Doses to the public ...........................................................................................................................48 3. Research establishments ................................................................................................................................89 3.1 Culham, Oxfordshire ..............................................................................................................................90 3.2 Dounreay, Highland ................................................................................................................................90 3.3 Harwell, Oxfordshire ...............................................................................................................................92 3.4 Windscale, Cumbria ...............................................................................................................................93 3.5 Winfrith, Dorset ......................................................................................................................................93 3.6 Minor site ...............................................................................................................................................94 3.6.1 Imperial College Reactor Centre, Ascot, Berkshire .............................................................................94 3.6.2 Imperial Chemical Industries plc., Billingham, Cleveland ....................................................................94 3.6.3 Scottish Universities’ Environmental Research Centre, South Lanarkshire ...........................................94 4. Nuclear power stations ................................................................................................................................103 4.1 Berkeley, Gloucestershire and Oldbury, South Gloucestershire ..............................................................105 4.2 Bradwell, Essex .....................................................................................................................................107 4.3 Dungeness, Kent ..................................................................................................................................107 4.4 Hartlepool, Cleveland ...........................................................................................................................109 4.5 Heysham, Lancashire ............................................................................................................................110 4.6 Hinkley Point, Somerset ........................................................................................................................110 4.7 Sizewell, Suffolk ...................................................................................................................................111 4.8 Chapelcross, Dumfries and Galloway ....................................................................................................112 4.9 Hunterston, North Ayrshire ...................................................................................................................113 4.10 Torness, East Lothian ............................................................................................................................114 4.11 Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd ........................................................................................................................115 4.12 Wylfa, Isle of Anglesey ..........................................................................................................................117 5. Defence establishments ...............................................................................................................................147 5.1 Aldermaston, Berkshire .........................................................................................................................147 5.2 Barrow, Cumbria ..................................................................................................................................148 5.3 Derby, Derbyshire .................................................................................................................................148 5.4 Devonport, Devon ................................................................................................................................149 5.5 Faslane and Coulport, Argyll and Bute ..................................................................................................149 5.6 Holy Loch, Argyll and Bute ....................................................................................................................150 5.7 Rosyth, Fife ...........................................................................................................................................150 5.8