2

WCSSG Environmental Health Working Group

Discharges and Environmental Monitoring 2016

Paul McDonald

Environmental Specialist

Date: 30th November 2017

3

Liquid Discharges 2016

Radionuclide Limit 2015 2016 2016

Discharge Discharge Discharge GBq GBq GBq As % of limit

H-3 1.80E+07 1.54E+06 2.05E+06 11%

C-14 2.10E+04 4.92E+03 4.83E+03 23%

Co-60 3.60E+03 5.13E+01 3.53E+01 1%

Sr-90 4.50E+04 1.59E+03 2.01E+03 4%

Zr/Nb-95 2.80E+03 9.64E+01 9.43E+01 3%

Tc-99 1.00E+04 1.66E+03 1.90E+03 19%

Ru-106 5.10E+04 7.03E+02 1.09E+03 2%

I-129 2.00E+03 3.65E+02 5.22E+02 26%

Cs-134 1.60E+03 6.67E+01 6.56E+01 4%

Cs-137 3.40E+04 3.08E+03 3.72E+03 11%

Ce-144 4.00E+03 1.94E+02 2.13E+02 5%

Np-237 7.30E+02 3.65E+01 3.14E+01 4%

Pu-Alpha 7.00E+02 1.39E+02 1.79E+02 26%

Pu-241 2.50E+04 2.36E+03 2.99E+03 12%

Am-241 3.00E+02 2.87E+01 2.58E+01 9%

Cm-Alpha 5.00E+01 1.19E+00 2.96E+00 6%

Alpha 9.00E+02 1.87E+02 2.53E+02 28%

Beta 2.00E+05(1) 9.52E+03 1.31E+04 7%

Uranium (kg) 2000 328 342 17%

(1) Discharge limit changed from 200 TBq to 180 TBq on 1 December 2016

4

Sellafield marine sampling and monitoring locations

5

Dose to marine critical group by radionuclide (57 mSv - seafood consumption – Adult, 2016)

0

50

100

150

200

250

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Do

se

(m

Sv)

Year

Carbon-14 Technetium-99 Plutonium alpha Plutonium-241 Americium-241 Others

6

Pathway contributions to marine critical group total dose (108 mSv – Adult, 2016)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Do

se (m

Sv

)

Year

Cod Plaice Lobster Crab Nephrops Winkles Mussels &Other Molluscs

Aerial pathways External radiation frombeach occupancy

7

External gamma dose rates at Newbiggin compared to sediment concentrations

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Bq

kg-1

dry

we

igh

t

mic

roG

ray

h-1

Year

Co-60 in sediment

Ru-106 in sediment

Cs-137 in sediment

Gamma dose rate

8

Pu(alpha) Concentration in Mussels, Winkles and Nephrops vs. Marine Discharges

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Co

ncen

trati

on

(B

q/k

g)

Dis

ch

arg

e (

TB

q)

Year

Discharge

Concentration in winkles

Concentration in mussels

Concentration in Nephrops

9

241Am Concentration in Mussels, Winkles and Nephrops vs. Marine Discharges

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Co

ncen

trati

on

(B

q/k

g)

Dis

ch

arg

e (

TB

q)

Year

Discharge

Concentration in winkles

Concentration in mussels

10

Dose from Winkles consumption for Pu(Alpha) and 241Am

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Do

se (m

Sv

)

Co

nsu

mp

tio

n r

ate

(k

g/y

ear)

Year

Winkle Consumption rate

Dose - Pu-alpha

Dose - Am-241

11

Dose from Mussel consumption for Pu(Alpha) and 241Am

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Do

se (m

Sv

)

Co

nsu

mp

tio

n r

ate

(k

g/y

ear)

Year

Mussels Consumption rate

Dose - Pu-alpha

Dose - Am-241

12

Dose from Nephrops consumption for Pu(Alpha) and 241Am

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Do

se (m

Sv

)

Co

nsu

mp

tio

n r

ate

(kg

/year)

Year

Nephrops Consumption rate

Dose - Pu-alpha

Dose - Am-241

13

Aerial Discharges 2016

Radionuclide Limit 2015 2016 2016

Discharge Discharge Discharge

MBq MBq MBq as % of limit H-3 1.10E+09 8.42E+07 1.23E+08 11%

C-14 3.30E+06 4.18E+05 4.42E+05 13%

Kr-85 4.40E+11 6.82E+10 8.75E+10 20%

Sr-90 7.10E+02 2.88E+01 2.95E+01 4%

Ru-106 2.30E+04 7.32E+02 7.02E+02 3%

Sb-125 3.00E+04 1.24E+04 1.01E+04 34%

I-129 7.00E+04 1.12E+04 1.30E+04 19%

I-131 3.70E+04 4.35E+02 4.23E+02 1%

Cs-137 5.80E+03 8.95E+01 1.02E+02 2%

Rn-222 5.00E+05 4.26E+04 4.26E+04 9%

Pu-Alpha 1.90E+02 2.57E+01 1.54E+01 8%

Pu-241 3.00E+03 2.93E+02 1.47E+02 5%

Am-241/Cm-242 1.20E+02 1.55E+01 1.36E+01 11%

Alpha 8.80E+02 8.17E+01 1.08E+02 12%

Beta 4.20E+04 6.20E+02 1.24E+03 3%

14

Sellafield terrestrial monitoring locations

15

Nuclide contributions to terrestrial critical group dose (Terrestrial Foodstuff and Inhalation 5.9 mSv Adult)

Infant Adult

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Do

se

(m

Sv)

Year

Carbon-14 Strontium-90 Technetium-99 Ruthenium-106 Iodine-129 Iodine-131 Caesium-137 Americium Others

16

Pathway contributions to terrestrial critical group dose (Total Adult 16 mSv of which 4.9 mSv Terrestrial Foodstuff)

Infant Adult

0

10

20

30

40

50

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Dose

(m

Sv)

Year

Milk Potatoes Other foodstuffs Inhalation Other Discharge Pathways Direct radiation

17

Representative Persons: Radiological doses to adult (2012–2016)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Path

way

Cru

stacean C

on

sum

ers

Occu

pan

ts for D

irect Rad

iation

Egg Co

nsu

me

rs

Fresh

water Fish

Co

nsu

mers

Sea Fish

Co

nsu

me

rs

Do

mestic Fru

it Co

nsu

me

rs

Wild

Fruit an

d N

ut C

on

sum

ers

Occu

pan

ts over Saltm

arsh

Occu

pan

ts over Sed

ime

nt

Ho

ney C

on

sum

ers

Co

nsu

me

rs of M

arine

Plan

ts and

Algae

Cattle

Meat C

on

sum

ers

Gam

e M

eat Co

nsu

mers

Pig M

eat C

on

sum

ers

Po

ultry M

eat Co

nsu

mers

Co

nsu

me

rs of Salt M

arsh G

razed

She

ep

She

ep M

eat Co

nsu

me

rs

Wild

fow

l Co

nsu

me

rs

Milk C

on

sum

ers

Mo

llusc C

on

sum

ers

Mu

shro

om

Co

nsu

mers

Occu

pan

ts In W

ater

Occu

pan

ts On

Wate

r

Local In

hab

itants (0

- 0.2

5km

)

Local In

hab

itants (0

.25

- 0.5

km)

Local In

hab

itants (0

.5 - 1

km)

Gree

n V

ege

table

Co

nsu

mers

Oth

er Do

mestic V

ege

table

Co

nsu

mers

Po

tato C

on

sum

ers

Ro

ot V

egetab

le C

on

sum

ers

Ad

ult

do

se (

mic

ro S

v)

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

18

Review of the Monitoring Programme

• The programme continues to work well with the majority of samples successfully collected.

• Audited by EA/NII in February 2009 where no major issues were identified and by EU (Article 35) in November 2017.

• An update to the Best Available Techniques review of the environmental monitoring programme was completed in September 2017 and is currently with the EA for comment.

• Whitehaven high volume air sampler returned to operation in May 2016 after being damaged in storms in December 2013. Data gathered in 2016 were consistent with pre-December 2013 data.

19

Summary

• Radioactive discharges (aerial and liquid) in 2016 were generally similar to those in 2015 and were well below the permitted limits.

• The estimated marine critical group dose in 2016 was about 110 μSv.

• The estimated terrestrial critical group dose in 2016 was about 16 μSv.

• Doses were similar to 2015 and well below the 1000 μSv dose limit for the general public.

• The dose limit of 1000 μSv is for the exposure of members of the UK public from man-made controlled sources of radiation, excluding medical uses.

• The 2016 ‘Monitoring our Environment’ is available on our website https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sellafield-ltd-environmental-and-safety-reports