Applications of the Use of Hawthorn Berries in Monitoring 14C Emissions from a UK Nuclear Establishment Over an Extended Period

Abstract

The paper describes a study undertaken to examine the dispersion pattern of gaseous emissions, as indicated by 14C uptake in natural materials, around the nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria, UK. The extent and directional dispersion of the released 14C is established and its variability over an extended period assessed. Results of measurements taken during three sampling seasons (1981,1982,1983) of the 14C activity in hawthorn berries collected over a wide area are presented and the dispersion pattern contours constructed from them are examined. Only limited agreement of the results with the theoretical relationship 1/r is found and both meteorology and topography are seen to be important in determining the shape of the observed patterns.