The human activities leading to inputs of radioactive substances into the marine environment
The main ongoing human activities that lead to the inputs of radioactive substances into the OSPAR Maritime Area are the nuclear sector and the oil and gas sub-sector. The intensity of these activities varies across the five main OSPAR Regions, with the highest intensity in Region II (Greater North Sea) and Region III (Celtic Seas).
Table A.1: Chapter Summary per OSPAR Region
| Activities | Arctic Waters (Region I) | Greater North Sea (Region II) | Celtic Seas (Region III) | Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast (Region IV) | Wider Atlantic (Region V) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Sector | |||||
| Relative intensity1 | L2 | H | H | M | N/A |
| Trend since QSR20103 | ↔ | ↓ | ↓ | ↔ | N/A |
| Expected trend to 20303 | ↔ | ↔ | ↔ | ↔ | N/A |
| Oil and gas sub-sector4 | |||||
| Relative intensity1 | M | H | M | L | L |
| Trend since QSR2010 | ↔ | ↔ | ↔ | ↔ | ↔ |
| Expected trend to 2030 | ↔ | ↔ | ↔ | ↔ | ↔ |
1 - Relative for the OSPAR Maritime Area.
2 - Reflects Russian civilian nuclear sector activities that result in inputs of radionuclides to Region I.
3 - Trends since QSR 2010 and expected trends to 2030 consider the type and number of facilities, and whether facilities are operational or undergoing decommissioning activities.
4 - Assessment by the Offshore Industry Committee. Valid for all the three rows below the “Oil and Gas sector” section.
Production of energy:
In 2021, the 82 nuclear sites in operation or undergoing decommissioning in the OSPAR catchment area comprised: nuclear power plants, which harness the heat produced in nuclear reactions and convert this to electrical energy; nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, which recycle used nuclear fuel to recover uranium and plutonium; nuclear fuel fabrication and enrichment plants, which provide the uranium fuel for the power plants; and research and development facilities relating to all aspects of the nuclear sector and which can include the production of radionuclides for medical or industrial purposes.
All nuclear facilities produce discharges that are authorised and are subject to regulatory limits and conditions by national authorities, with liquid discharges either entering the marine environment directly or via rivers that drain into the sea.
Extraction of oil and gas, including infrastructure:
The extraction of oil and gas also results in the discharge of produced water containing naturally occurring radioactive substances into the OSPAR Maritime Area. The removal of scale material from oil and gas equipment can also lead to the discharge of naturally occurring radioactive substances into the OSPAR Maritime Area.
Industrial uses:
The non-nuclear radiochemical production, phosphate production, titanium dioxide pigment manufacture, primary steel manufacture and rare earth mineral production sub-sectors all give rise to liquid discharges of radioactive substances, which are reported to OSPAR.
Research, survey and educational activities:
Activities within the university and research centre sub-sector can lead to discharges of radioactive substances into the OSPAR Maritime Area.
Medical uses:
Hospitals that use short-lived radioactive substances for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes are authorised to discharge such substances, which are mainly contained in patient excreta.
Security/defence:
Radioactive substances may be used by the military sector and discharges of radioactive substances may occur during the development, testing, construction, operation and decommissioning of any military equipment that uses radioactive substances. Some states have nuclear propulsion and nuclear weapons programmes. Examples of inputs of radioactive substances to the environment from such activities include historic nuclear weapons testing and the loss at sea of nuclear-powered submarines.
| Drivers | Pressures |