New Scientist | 1st June, 2002


Nuclear regulators have miscalculated the health risks from one of the most widespread nuclear pollutants. People are twice as likely as previously thought to develop cancer after being exposed to TRITIUM, which is discharged by nuclear plants & factories. (A few years ago there were plans to dump Tritium into the River Thames) Radiation experts say the oversight is worrying & people who eat fish from contaminated waters may have received more radiation than supposed. Vast amounts were released into the air by nuclear weapons tests in the 1960s. 1000s of trillions of becquerels are emitted each year by nuclear plants at Sellafield & Chapelcross in southern Scotland.

Scientists first became alerted because of discharges from Nycomed Amersham plant in Cardiff. Levels in fish near the factory were 100s times higher than expected (N. Scientist, 31 Oct.98 p10). This company make isotopes for the drugs industry. This prompted the National Radiological Protection Board to look again at the radiation people are exposed to when they eat Severn estuary fish. Evidence suggests tritium carbon compounds persist in the body & that the biological effect of tritium in WATER may be more damaging. So there is a higher chance that the beta radiation from tritium will trigger tumour growth.

Barrie Lambert, radiation expert from St. Barts Hosp., London, says the findings could have significant implictions for people who eat a lot of fishfrom around the Cardiff plant. Their current radiation dose could double to 133 microsieverts a year & in the past that dose could have been twice as high.