Radioactivity in food and the environment: calculations of UK radiation doses using integrated assessment methods

Abstract

A new method for estimating radiation doses to UK critical groups is proposed for discussion. Amongst others, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) undertake surveillance of UK food and the environment as a check on the effect of discharges of radioactive wastes. Discharges in gaseous and liquid form are made under authorisation by the Environment Agency and SEPA under powers in the Radioactive Substance Act. Results of surveillance by the FSA and SEPA are published in the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE) report series. In these reports, doses to critical groups are normally estimated separately for gaseous and liquid discharge pathways. Simple summation of these doses would tend to overestimate doses actually received. Three different methods of combining the effects of both types of discharge in an integrated assessment are considered and ranked according to their ease of application, transparency, scientific rigour and presentational issues. A single integrated assessment method is then chosen for further study. Doses are calculated for surveillance data for the calendar year 2000 and compared with those from the existing RIFE method.

25 years of RIFE—a brief history and highlights

“…It considers the effects of all sources, i.e. discharges of gaseous and liquid wastes and direct radiation from sources on the site premises (Camplin et al 2005). The 'total dose' assessments were first introduced in 2003 (RIFE 9) and became the principal method for measuring the public's radiation exposure in 2010 (RIFE 16), prior to this the source specific assessments were the principal dose assessment method.…”