Each month the high volume air sampler tests "extremely large volumes of air", according to Sepa, and in this test it was found that there were low levels of radioactive iodine thought to have come from the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan.
Sepa is keen to point out that there is no danger to the general public nor to the environment following the discovery of the radiation and their Radioactive Substances Manager, Dr James Gemmill, said in a statement:
“The concentration of iodine detected is extremely low and is not of concern for the public or the environment.
“The fact that such a low concentration of this radionuclide was detected demonstrates how effective the surveillance programme for radioactive substances is in the UK.
“Sepa has an ongoing comprehensive monitoring programme for radioactivity in Scotland and has increased the level of scrutiny to provide ongoing public assurance during this period.”
They were also keen to point out that the low levels of radiation found were consistent with the levels found in sampled air in other countries like Switzerland and Iceland. Traces of radiation were also found in samples taken in the Philippines.
Glasgow is not the only area in the UK in which levels of radiation were found. A sample taken in Oxfordshire was also shown to to have low levels of iodine 131.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that the finding of low levels of the radiation in air samples was expected following the events at Fukushima and they also pointed out that even though levels may rise in the days and weeks to come there was no risk to the public because the levels of radiation would still be too low to cause any risk.
In their statement HPA wrote:
The levels were extremely low at 300 micro-becquerels per cubic metre. This followed reports from HPA's monitoring stations in Glasgow and Oxfordshire of measurements averaged over the last nine days which found 11 micro-becquerels per cubic metre.
The dose received from inhaling air with these measured levels of iodine -131 is minuscule and would be very much less than the annual background radiation dose. The detection of these trace levels reflects the sensitivity of the monitoring equipment.
Fukushima nuclear plant has remained unstable since the earthquake and tsunami on March 11 and engineers are still battling to save the plant which had already seen many fires and explosions. In a set of new problems facing the plant, plutonium has been found in the soil in five locations nearby and radioactive water was noted to be leaking from the site.
Originally published on Digital Journal on March 29 2011
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