Research and analysis

RIFE 29 Summary, Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2023

Updated 7 November 2024

General summary

Radioactivity is all around us. It occurs naturally in the earth’s crust, and it can be found in the food we eat, the water we drink, as well as the air we breathe. We are also exposed to artificial sources of radioactivity, such as in medical applications used in hospitals and nuclear power. It is a legal requirement to ensure that the radiation exposure from artificial radioactivity, from all sources, is kept within a safe limit. Globally, strict regulations and recommendations are in place to protect the public and the environment.

In the UK, the radiation exposure from artificial radioactivity, close to UK nuclear sites, comes from permitted or authorised releases from UK nuclear sites. In addition to these sites, there are other users of radioactivity, such as hospitals, research or industrial facilities. These other facilities are generally known as the non-nuclear industries. Releases from hospital and research sites are significantly lower than from nuclear sites.

The Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE) report is published each year by environmental regulators and food standards agencies. This report brings together all the results of monitoring of radioactivity in food and the environment by the RIFE partners (Environment Agency, Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, Natural Resources Wales, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency).

The main aim of the RIFE programme is to monitor the environment, and the diet of people living or working near nuclear and selected non-nuclear sites. From this monitoring, we can estimate the amount of radiation the public is exposed to, and in particular, those groups of people who are most exposed because of their age, diet, location or lifestyle.

An additional comparison can be made with the exposure from both artificial and natural radioactivity, which are calculated using a different approach and pathways of exposure to those estimated for people who live or work near nuclear and non-nuclear sites. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published estimates of exposures to the UK population from naturally occurring and artificial sources of radioactivity. The most recent values show that naturally occurring sources, particularly radon gas, accounted for around 84% of the exposure from all sources of radioactivity, with medical radiation contributing around 16%. Artificial radioactivity in the environment, from the nuclear industry and from past testing of nuclear weapons, accounted for less than 0.2% of the exposure to the UK population (See Figure GS). This figure shows the breakdown of the average UK population exposure, 48% from radon exposure, 16% from medical exposures, 13% from terrestrial gamma radiation, 12% cosmic radiation and 11% from the intakes of radionuclides, excluding radon. The side bar shows the contributions from nuclear weapons fallout (0.2%), occupational radiation (0.02%) and radioactive discharges (0.01%).

Figure GS. Average UK population exposure from natural and artificial sources of radioactivity (Oatway and others, 2016)

Image courtesy of UK Health Security Agency, @Crown Copyright 2022.

The headlines from the 2023 RIFE programme are:

All sites

Exposure to the public from all sources of artificial radioactivity in food and the environment was low and well within the legal limit of 1 millisievert (mSv) per year^{[footnote 1]}, demonstrating that radioactivity in food and the environment is safe.

Overall, between 2022 and 2023 there were no significant changes to the radioactivity measured in food and the environment.

For nuclear sites

In 2023, people living around the Cumbrian coast (near Sellafield), Capenhurst and Amersham were the most exposed from sources of artificial radioactivity. The highest exposure was 23% of the legal limit in 2023 due to people eating locally produced seafood (fish and crustacea) around the Cumbrian coast. This is down from 24% of the legal limit in 2022.

In 2023 in Scotland, people eating food collected from areas along the Dumfries and Galloway coastline were the most exposed from releases of radioactivity. The exposure in 2023 was approximately 2% of the legal limit, and as in previous years, this was mostly due to the effects of past discharges from the Sellafield site.

The highest exposure in Wales was for those people living near the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station, which is being decommissioned. This was due to them consuming locally produced food (milk), containing radioactivity released from, mainly historical, permitted discharges from the station. The exposure was approximately 3% of the legal limit.

For other areas

In Northern Ireland, exposure to the public from artificial radioactivity in 2023 was estimated to be less than 1% of the legal limit.

A survey on the Channel Islands confirmed that the radiation exposure due to discharges from the French fuel reprocessing plant at La Hague and other local sources was less than 0.5% of the legal limit.

Food and sources of public drinking water that make up a general diet for people were analysed for radioactivity across the UK. Results show that the radiation exposure from artificial radionuclides in people’s general diet was very small (less than 0.5% of the legal limit) in 2023.

---

Highlights: Nuclear fuel production and reprocessing

‘Total doses’ for the representative person were 23% (or less) of the annual dose limit for all assessed sites. ‘Total doses’ decreased to the Cumbrian coastal community near Sellafield, compared to the values in 2022, but remained well below the legal limit.

Capenhurst, Cheshire

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.15mSv and increased in 2023.

Springfields, Lancashire

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.040mSv and increased in 2023.

Sellafield, Cumbria

‘Total doses’ for the representative person were 0.23mSv (or less) and decreased in 2023.

The highest ‘total doses’ were from seafood, dominated by the effects of naturally occurring radionuclides. Historical discharges from the Sellafield site made a lesser contribution.

Radiation dose from historical discharges of naturally occurring radionuclides (non-nuclear industry) was lower in 2023. The contribution to ‘total dose’ from Sellafield discharges increased in 2023.

Gaseous discharges of caesium-137, plutonium-alpha and americium-241/curium-242 were slightly higher, in 2023 when compared to those in 2022.

Liquid discharges were generally lower, in 2023 when compared to those in 2022.

---

Highlights: nuclear power stations

‘Total doses’ for the representative person were approximately 3% of the dose limit for all sites assessed.

Hartlepool, County Durham

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.015mSv and increased in 2023.

Gaseous discharges of carbon-14 increased in 2023.

Liquid discharges of tritium, sulphur-35 and other radionuclides decreased in 2023.

Heysham, Lancashire

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.015mSv and decreased in 2023.

Liquid discharges of tritium from Heysham 1 decreased in 2023.

Hinkley Point, Somerset

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.032mSv and increased in 2023.

Gaseous discharges of carbon-14, sulphur-35 and argon-41 from Hinkley B decreased in 2023.

Liquid discharges of tritium from Hinkley B decreased in 2023.

Hunterston, North Ayrshire

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.013mSv and increased in 2023.

Gaseous discharges of argon-41 were reported as nil from Hunterston B in 2023.

Liquid discharges of plutonium-241 from Hunterston A were reported as nil and discharges of tritium and sulphur-35 from Hunterston B decreased in 2023.

Sizewell, Suffolk

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was less than 0.010mSv and decreased in 2023.

Gaseous discharges carbon-14 from Sizewell B decreased in 2023.

Torness, East Lothian

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.007mSv and increased in 2023.

Berkeley, Gloucestershire and Oldbury, South Gloucestershire

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was less than 0.005mSv and unchanged in 2023.

Gaseous discharges of carbon-14 increased in 2023.

Bradwell, Essex

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was less than 0.005mSv and unchanged in 2023 (see RIFE 28 Errata)

Chapelcross, Dumfries and Galloway

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.010mSv and increased in 2023.

Dungeness, Kent

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.005mSv and decreased in 2023.

Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.007mSv and decreased in 2023.

Wylfa, Isle of Anglesey

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was less than 0.005mSv and decreased in 2023.

Gaseous discharges of tritium and carbon-14 decreased in 2023.

---

Highlights: research and radiochemical production establishments

‘Total doses’ (research) for the representative person were approximately 5% of the annual dose limit in 2023 (for sites that were assessed).

‘Total doses’ (radiochemical production) for the representative person were less than 9% of the annual dose limit in 2023.

Dounreay, Highland

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.028mSv and increased in 2023.

GE Healthcare Limited, Grove Centre, Amersham, Buckinghamshire

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.089mSv and increased in 2023.

Gaseous discharges of radon-222 increased in 2023.

Harwell, Oxfordshire

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was less than 0.005mSv and unchanged in 2023.

Winfrith, Dorset

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.054mSv and increased in 2023.

---

Highlights: defence establishments

‘Total doses’ for the representative person were approximately 4% of the dose limit for all sites assessed.

Aldermaston, Berkshire

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.011mSv and increased in 2023.

Gaseous discharges of volatile beta decreased in 2023.

Barrow, Cumbria

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.042mSv and increased in 2023.

Derby, Derbyshire

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.006mSv and increased in 2023.

Devonport, Devon

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was less than 0.005mSv and unchanged in 2023.

Faslane and Coulport, Argyll and Bute

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was <0.005mSv and decreased in 2023.

Rosyth, Fife

‘Total dose’ for the representative person was 0.008mSv and increased in 2023.

---

Highlights: Industrial, landfill, legacy and other non-nuclear sites

Doses (dominated by the effects of legacy discharges from other sources) increased at the LLWR in 2023.

Doses at landfill sites were less than 0.5% of the dose limit in 2023.

Doses (dominated by the effects of naturally occurring radionuclides from legacy discharges) increased at Whitehaven in 2023.

---

Highlights: regional monitoring

Doses for the representative person were approximately 1% (or less) of the annual public dose limit in 2023.

---

Conclusion

Overall, between 2022 and 2023 there have been no significant changes to the radioactivity measured in food and the environment around UK nuclear sites and other locations remote from these sites. Exposure from all sources of naturally occurring and artificial radioactivity to members of the public was well below legal limits, demonstrating that radioactivity in food and the environment is safe.

Reference

Oatway, W.B., Jones, A.L., Holmes, S., Watson, S. & Cabianca, T., 2016, Ionising radiation exposure of the UK population: 2010 Review. PHE-CRCE-026, Chilton.

1. The average individual dose in the UK population (which is not comparable with doses calculated within the RIFE report), mostly due to natural sources, amounts to about 2.7 millisieverts (mSv) per year. ↩