RIFE - 20 Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2014 2015 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, 2014 RIFE – 20 October 2015 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 Resource Wales, 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: Wylfa Power Station. Published by kind permission of the Natural Resource Wales. Inside cover photograph: Reproduced with kind permission of Public Health England © Crown Copyright, 2015 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]), Chemical Safety 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 the Food Standards Scotland ([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 ................................................................................................................................................ 10 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 17 1.1 Purpose and scope of the monitoring programmes................................................................................ 17 1.2 Summary of doses ................................................................................................................................. 18 1.2.1 The assessment process ................................................................................................................... 18 1.2.2 Total dose results for 2014 .............................................................................................................. 19 1.2.3 Total dose trends ............................................................................................................................. 21 1.2.4 Source specific dose results for 2014 ............................................................................................... 21 1.2.5 Protecting the environment ............................................................................................................. 21 1.2.6 Food irradiation ............................................................................................................................... 23 1.3 Sources of radiation exposure................................................................................................................ 23 1.3.1 Radioactive waste disposal from nuclear licensed sites ..................................................................... 23 1.3.2 International agreements, the UK Discharge Strategy and new nuclear power stations .................... 25 1.3.3 Managing radioactive liabilities in the UK ........................................................................................ 27 1.3.4 Solid radioactive waste disposal at sea ............................................................................................. 29 1.3.5 Other sources of radioactivity .......................................................................................................... 29 2. Nuclear fuel production and reprocessing .................................................................................................. 37 2.1 Capenhurst, Cheshire ............................................................................................................................ 38 2.2 Springfields, Lancashire ......................................................................................................................... 40 2.3 Sellafield, Cumbria ................................................................................................................................ 43 2.3.1 Doses to the public .......................................................................................................................... 44 2.3.2 Gaseous discharges ......................................................................................................................... 49 2.3.3 Liquid discharges ............................................................................................................................. 50 2.3.4 Monitoring of unusual pathways ..................................................................................................... 64 2.4 Windscale, Cumbria .............................................................................................................................. 65 3. Research establishments ............................................................................................................................... 93 3.1 Dounreay, Highland ............................................................................................................................. 93 3.2 Harwell, Oxfordshire.............................................................................................................................. 96 3.3 Winfrith, Dorset .................................................................................................................................... 98 3.4 Minor sites .......................................................................................................................................... 100 3.4.1 Culham, Oxfordshire ..................................................................................................................... 100 3.4.2 Imperial College Reactor Centre, Ascot, Berkshire .......................................................................... 100 4. Nuclear power stations ............................................................................................................................... 109 4.1 Berkeley, Gloucestershire and Oldbury, South Gloucestershire ............................................................. 110 4.2 Bradwell, Essex .................................................................................................................................... 111 4.3 Dungeness, Kent ................................................................................................................................. 112 4.4 Hartlepool, County Durham ................................................................................................................ 114 4.5 Heysham, Lancashire ........................................................................................................................... 116 4.6 Hinkley Point, Somerset ....................................................................................................................... 117 4.7 Sizewell, Suffolk .................................................................................................................................. 118 4.8 Chapelcross, Dumfries and Galloway ................................................................................................... 119 4.9 Hunterston, North Ayrshire.................................................................................................................. 121 4.10 Torness, East Lothian ........................................................................................................................... 122 4.11 Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd ....................................................................................................................... 123 4.12 Wylfa, Isle of Anglesey ........................................................................................................................ 124 3 5. Defence establishments .............................................................................................................................. 153 5.1 Aldermaston, Berkshire ....................................................................................................................... 153 5.2 Barrow, Cumbria ................................................................................................................................. 154 5.3 Derby, Derbyshire ............................................................................................................................... 154 5.4 Devonport, Devon ............................................................................................................................... 155 5.5 Faslane and Coulport, Argyll and