Research and analysis

Sulphur-35: modelling plant uptake

This report (HPA-RPD-013) describes the Health Protection Agency SGAS foodchain model.

Documents

HPA-RPD-013: modelling plant uptake of sulphur-35

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@phe.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

Sulphur-35 is discharged as a gas from UK Magnox and advanced gas-cooled nuclear reactors in two important forms. Carbonyl sulphide is released routinely during reactor operation while hydrogen sulphide is released primarily from Magnox reactors when maintenance is carried out. The uptake of gaseous forms of sulphur-35 by plant leaves is known to be an important mechanism leading to the contamination of crops.

It was thought that this route of exposure might not be adequately modelled in the Health Protection Agency foodchain model FARMLAND and therefore a new model SGAS was developed.

Updates to this page

Published 1 May 2006

Sign up for emails or print this page