Latest Updates on Radioactive Particles On Beaches From Dounreay

22nd February 2019

The latest updates on radioactive particles released from Dounreay on beaches have been published.

The latest find dates were -

Dounreay Foreshore

11 January 2019

Sanside Beach

11 February 2019

Murkle Beach

26 November 2016

Nuclear fuel was reprocessed at Dounreay for almost 40 years. Used fuel was dismantled in waterfilled ponds before chemical processing to recover material which could be re-used. These processes generated metallic fragments, some of which entered the site's effluent system and were discharged to the sea. Routine monitoring of the coastline around Dounreay began to detect particles of this material in the early 1980s, when practices at the site were changed to prevent any more discharges of this material.

Dounreay Foreshore https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/779216/Foreshore_Particles_Table.pdf

Sandside Beach https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/779217/Sandside_Particles_Table.pdf

Murkle Beach https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696374/Murkle_Particle_Finds.pdf

Particle Retrieval Advisory Group (Dounreay) 2012 Report https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696375/PRAGD_Dounreay-2012-report.pdf