Levels of a radioactive gas discharged by the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant continue to rise here, according to a report. They remain very low, however, and pose no immediate risk to people in any part of the State.
Measurements of radioactive Krypton-85 gas come in the latest report on environmental radiation, released yesterday by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. The report, Environmental Radioactivity Surveillance Programme 1999-2000, looks at radioactivity in air, drinking water, milk and a range of foods, including baby foods.
Radiation exposures for people living in the State remained very low for all the consumables tested, according to the institute. "The data presented in the report provides reassurance that the levels of artificial radioactivity in the Irish terrestrial environment, including foodstuffs, are low and do not pose a significant risk to health," stated Dr Tony Colgan, the institute's principal scientific officer.
However, the report said the continual rise in Krypton-85 levels since 1993 provided "a direct measure of the impact of the aerial discharges from reprocessing on Ireland".
The gas is released during nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield in Cumbria and Cap de la Hague in France. It is diluted by the atmosphere before reaching here and causes an extremely low but measurable radiation exposure, mainly to the skin. "It is therefore important that its presence in the Irish environment continues to be evaluated," the report stressed.
Airborne radioactivity is recorded at 10 stations around the State and all recorded low levels consistent with normal background radiation other than for Krypton-85, the report stated.
Public water samples are collected from major water supplies annually, and from each county at least once every four years. This report included tests from 11 counties and all were well within limits for radiation set down by international standards.
Milk is a particularly good indicator of radioactivity in the food chain and is tested by the institute for two man-made substances, Caesium-137 and Strontium-90. Milk was sampled at 10 plants, and most returned results below detection limits for these substances. Where they were detected, mainly for Strontium-90, the samples contained very low levels, similar to tests in previous years.
Similar results were returned for other foods, including baby foods, dairy produce, beef, lamb, pork, poultry and vegetables.
Man-made radiation levels remain "extremely low and do not pose a significant risk to health", the report concludes. "None the less, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland remains vigilant and will continue to monitor the exposure of people living in Ireland to all relevant sources of ionising radiation."
The full report is available at www.rpii.ie under the publications heading.
