Large variations in levels of radioactive contamination
Discharges of produced water containing low levels of radioactivity are expected to increase in the future. Technetium-99 discharges from Sellafield have been greatly reduced, and levels in seaweed, fish and shellfish will therefore also drop. Levels of radioactive caesium from Chernobyl are declining very slowly, so that caesium will continue to enter food chains for several decades to come.
Reducing discharges, clean feeding and consumption advisories
Norway’s goal is to reduce releases of naturally occurring radioactive substances from oil and gas production to near background levels by 2020. The radioactive contamination after the Chernobyl accident is a long lasting problem. Countermeasures like clean feeding, early slaughter time and caesium binders are used to reduce contamination of sheep, cattle and domestic reindeer.