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What counts is not the rate of exposure, but the total accumulated dose
to the reproductive cells of the individual from the beginning of life to
the time the child is conceived.
Supervision and control. This varies with the material at risk.
Waste. The Ministry of Housing and Local Government is responsible
for a continuous watch being kept on the levels of radio-activity
in the atmosphere, soil, water, herbage, milk and other foodstuffs. The
monitoring arrangements are very complex, and it is felt officially that
measures are not necessary in every county to obtain an appreciation of
the overall situation. "In view of the watch kept by Central Government,
it is not considered necessary for every local authority to ascertain
radiation levels in its area." Atomic Energy Establishments do the
monitoring of air and rain water and analyse the radio-activity present in
samples of human bone.
The responsibility for measuring activity in food and agricultural
products lies with the Agricultural Research Council. An organisation
has been set up to obtain information on a national scale about the
radio-active contents of a number of food stuffs, and country-wide
surveys are being carried out from which the Government expert advisors
can assess the levels of radio-activity in the national diet. Responsibility
for advising the Government on its significance rests with the Agricultural
and the Medical Research Councils who are satisfied that the extensive
monitoring surveys are adequate to ensure that a close and continuous
watch is maintained over the levels of food in the country.
The Ministry of Housing and Local Government accept responsibility
for ensuring that no hazard arises from the disposal of radio-active waste.
They receive details of all deliveries by the Atomic Energy Authority.
Particulars of all deliveries are passed to the Ministry of Labour and
National Service who take similar action with regard to handling and use
of radio-active sources in factories and workships.
Most radio-active wastes in the country are produced by the Atomic
Energy Authority which by the Atomic Energy Act, 1943 needs an
authorisation from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and
the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, before discharging
radio-active waste—whether liquid, solid or gaseous. These provisions
are to be extended to other nuclear installations to be made subject to the
Nuclear Installation (Licensing and Insurance) Act. No significant
discharges are expected at present from the nuclear power stations to
be erected by the Central Electricity Authority.
The quantities of radio-active wastes discharged by users of radioisotopes
(hospitals, factories and research establishments) are small, and
are generally governed by the laws controlling the disposal of ordinary
waters—The Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) Act, 1951 and the Public
Health (Drainage of Trade Premises) Act 1937. "A continuous watch
was kept on deliveries of radio-isotopes to hospitals, factories and other
users and the department does not consider that any danger to the public
arises from the disposal of the amounts at present delivered." (Annual
Report, 1957 Ministry of Housing and Local Government).