Radioactivity in environmental samples taken in the Sellafield and Ravenglass areas of West Cumbria, 1977-1982

Abstract

Terrestrial foodstuffs and other materials of agricultural importance have been analyzed for fission products and actinides discharged in waste from the Sellafield processing works in west Cumbria . Results obtained between 1977 and 1982 are summarized and it is concluded that the internal radiation exposure of the general public due to consumption of locally produced food in no instance amounts to more than a small fraction of recommended limits. Deposition of seaborne sediment is shown to be the main route by which radionuclides of Sellafield origin reach grazing land bordering a nearby tidal estuary.