Measurement of krypton-85 in air at Clonskeagh, Dublin 1993-1997.
The existence of 85Kr in the air is primarily due to the reprocessing of nuclear fuel. The two major reprocessing plants in the western world are at La Hague in France and Sellafield in the UK. Prior to the commissioning of THORP at Sellafield in 1994, a programme to monitor the concentration of 85Kr in air at Clonskeagh, Dublin was commenced. While results for the measurements over the period 1993-1997 indicate that the concentration of 85Kr in the air is increasing, it has not been possible to link any particular measurement result to a krypton release from the Sellafield site. The concentration of 85Kr in air, at the existing level, does not present a significant radiological hazard. Exposure to 85Kr, which is an inert gas, results mainly in small doses to the skin. A mean annual concentration of 1.34 Bq m(-3) was calculated for 1997 which would result in a skin dose of 0.55 microSv for the year to the exposed skin of an individual.
Howett
D
D
Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, Dublin.
O'Colmáin
M
M
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D000398:Air Pollution, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D007727:Krypton Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011210:Power Plants; D006113:United Kingdom
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D007727:Krypton Radioisotopes