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Liquid discharges from nuclear installations in 2015

Executive Summary

Data are available on ODIMS via: https://odims.ospar.org/documents/91

This annual report includes 2015 data of liquid radioactive discharges from nuclear installations and temporal trends for the period 1990 ‐ 2015. On this basis, an assessment has been made for the discharges from nuclear power stations, nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, nuclear fuel fabrication and enrichment plants, research and development facilities, and decommissioning and management of legacy radioactive wastes activities. Discharges are reported as total alpha, tritium and total beta activity (excluding tritium) in terabecquerel per year (TBq/y) for each type of nuclear installation.

Discharges of radioactive substances measured as total alpha and total beta activity (excluding tritium) from nuclear installations have decreased over the period 1990 – 2015. Discharges of tritium peaked in 2004.

Full Report

There is a decrease in the total alpha activity discharged from all nuclear installations over the 25‐year period. Discharges are at the lowest reported level since 1990, accounting for around 8% of the peak value in 1993.

The total discharge of tritium in 2015 of about 18,000 TBq is very similar to annual discharges made in recent years and about 14% lower than the peak seen in 2004. 

Total beta activity (excluding tritium) from all nuclear installations has decreased markedly since 1990 and is now only about 4% of what it was in 1990. In 2015 total beta discharges were about 20 TBq, a small increase relative to the previous year.

Location of Nuclear Facilities in OSPAR countries discharging directly or indirectly to the OSPAR maritime area in 2015. Available via https://odims.ospar.org/layers/geonode:ospar_discharges_nuclear_2015_01_001