Are we moving in the right direction?
The caesium-137 discharges from Sellafield were very high during 1975-1980. The highest discharge was registered in 1975 (5200 TBq). This is equivalent to the total fallout of caesium-137 to the Baltic Sea after the Chernobyl accident in 1986.
The discharges are now at a much lower level. Two new treatment plants at Sellafield in 1986 resulted in a considerable reduction in discharges. Since then, yearly discharges have been around 5 to 30 TBq per year. During the last decade, no reductions can be seen in discharges of caesium-137. The yearly discharges to the Irish Sea are still at around 10 TBq caesium-137.
Published by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, 20.11.2011, 19:42.