Publicatie Laka-bibliotheek:
Liquid discharges from European Reprocessing Facilities (1996)
| Auteur | Greenpeace Int., D.Samsom |
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6-01-4-60-38.pdf |
| Datum | mei 1996 |
| Classificatie | 6.01.4.60/38 (STRALING - GEVOLGEN - ROND INSTALLATIES) |
| Opmerking | Available at https://www.greenpeace.to/greenpeace/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/LIQUID-DISCHARGES-FROM-EUROPEAN-REPROCESSING-FACILITIES_GPI_Samsom-1996.pdf |
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Uit de publicatie:
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 In contrast with the legal obligation set out in the Paris (1974) and OSPAR (1992) conventions to "take all possible steps to reduce and eliminate pollution and [to] take the necessary measures to protect the [North East Atlantic] against the adverse effects of human activities so as to safeguard human health and to conserve marine ecosystems"' and the recognised "need to reduce radioactive discharges from nuclear installations to the marine environment'', discharges and emissions of radioactive wastes from nuclear reprocessing facilities show a significant increase, which is already resulting in new increases of contamination levels in the waters of the North West European shelf as well as the Arctic region. Moreover it is likely that the ongoing trend will continue for at least the coming years, given the expected increase in throughput of spent nuclear fuel.
1.2 Over the last four decades discharges of radioactive substances from reprocessing facilities have played a major role in the contamination of the North-West European shelf (Channel, North Sea, Irish Sea, North-East Atlantic). Especially during the 1970s the reprocessing industry contributed very large amounts of fission and activation products, like Cs-I37, Sr-90, Pu-239 etc., to the waters of the English Channel and the Irish Sea. These isotopes are spread throughout the whole Atlantic Ocean and can still be detected in the Nordic Seas and South-West of Greenland.
1.3 During the 1980s reprocessing discharges were reduced following the application of new techniques and changes in the types of fuel reprocessed. However radioactive discharges from reprocessing plants in the 1990s show the opposite trend.
1.4 This report gives an overview of the discharges from reprocessing facilities, their dispersion through the oceanic waters and the radiological consequences. Special auention will be paid to the specific problems of the recent increase in discharges.