Measurement of artificial radionuclides in whole diets around the BNF plc reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria

• Published in: Journal of radiological protection 1993-03, Vol.13 (1), p.27-36
• Main Authors: Mondon, K J, Walters, B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied radiobiology (equipment, dosimetry...); Biological and medical sciences; Biological effects of radiation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics
• ISSN: 0952-4746; 1361-6498
• DOI: 10.1088/0952-4746/13/1/002

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has conducted a duplicate diet study around the BNF reprocessing plant of Sellafield in Cumbria. Samples were collected from adults and children. The results of analyses for a number of artificial radionuclides are reported; dose calculations using actual food intakes have also been made. Samples were obtained in both winter (phase I) and summer (phase II), between which times the Chernobyl accident occurred, making site-specific dose assessment from caesium isotopes difficult in summer samples. Control diets were collected from a coastal area in Lancashire. Average annual doses based on pre-Chernobyl sampling ranged from 2 mu Sv in control children to 14 mu Sv in study adults. This range increased to 9-50 mu Sv in the second phase of the study. Maximum individual doses were 86 mu Sv in phase I and 102 mu Sv in phase II, these being well within the government's target dose for members of the public.