Annual report on discharges of radioactive substances from the non-nuclear sector in 2015

Data are available on ODIMS via:  https://odims.ospar.org/documents/154

Executive Summary

Annual data collection by OSPAR on discharges from the non‐nuclear sector has only been taking place since 2006 (collecting data from 2005). Due to the incompleteness of datasets, no data were published until 2009. 

The 2015 data reported by Contracting Parties were sufficient to make an assessment of discharges from the offshore oil and gas sub‐sector, which is the major non‐nuclear source. It is also possible to judge the relative contribution from the medical sub‐sector. Data are available for the other non‐nuclear sub‐sectors (universities and research, radiochemical manufacturing and various others), but they are considered to be of minor importance.

The radionuclides reported from the offshore oil and gas industry are: Ra‐226, Ra‐228, Pb‐210, discharged via produced water. The assessment of 2015 data shows that there has been little variation since 2005 in discharges of the key radionuclides.