As well as regulating activities that may impact on the
environment, SEPA is also responsible for:
- monitoring radioactivity in the food and the environment
- assessing the impact of authorised discharges on the public,
flora and fauna
- participating in research to address data gaps.
SEPA also requires all major sites to carry out local monitoring
programmes. These results are held by the sites but are available
for SEPA to audit, and we must be notified of any abnormal
results.
Taking samples
SEPA arranges for more than 1000 samples to be taken from around
Scotland every year, to assess the radiation dose to the public.
The programme focuses on areas where concentrations of man-made
radioactivity might be higher, paying special attention to the
areas around the following nuclear sites:
- Chapelcross
- Dounreay
- Hunterston
- Holy Loch
- Faslane submarine bases
- Rosyth
- Torness
Monitoring is also carried out along the Dumfries and Galloway
coastline and in the Solway Firth, to assess the effects of
radioactive waste discharges from Sellafield Limited into the Irish
Sea.
Sample materials
The particular materials sampled are chosen for several reasons.
They may be:
- eaten or used in food preparation for humans
- used in agriculture
- a good indicator of radiation in the environment.
The results are then published in an annual study called the
Radioactivity In Food and the Environment
(RIFE) report.
To find out more about how we monitor, follow these links: