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By amy

March 14, 2006

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has published the final report on research into the potential effects of fragments of irradiated nuclear fuel (particles) at Sandside Bay on human health.

The research commissioned by SEPA and carried out by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) provides information on the potential radiation dose that a person may receive, should they encounter a particle and the probability of this occurring.

Particles found on Sandside Beach to date are relatively low in activity and any affect on human health is likely to be short term.

Should a particle be detected on the beach with higher activity than those discovered, there is the potential for short-term visible effects to occur through skin contact.

However, the report also reveals that the chance of coming into contact with a particle of activity greater is extremely low.

This research is available on www.sepa.org.uk/radioactivity/dounreay/particles.htm

The diverse range of work commissioned by SEPA on particles is now complete.

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