Radiation takes many forms and occurs naturally in the environment. It is also produced artificially e.g. in nuclear reactors to generate electricity.

Radiation

For general information on radiation please click here.

Click here for more information on alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

Businesses and organisations which wish to use or dispose of radioactive material must be licensed by the Environment Agency.   

Click here for the EA page on Radioactive waste disposal regulations and guidance.

Radiation Incident Monitoring Network

RIMNet

The network, which was set up after the nuclear reactor disaster at Chernobyl in 1986, monitors radiation levels in the UK and alerts from other countries. It advises the government and local authorities on appropriate action following a 'radiation incident'. 

Nottingham City Council is Nottinghamshire's lead authority for RIMNet. The authority can receive and respond to notification of incidents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and if necessary implement its emergency plan in conjunction with Nottinghamshire's other local authorities and the emergency services.

Radioactivity in Food and the Environment

Each year the UK Government publishes a Radioactivity in Food and the Environment report for the previous calendar year, summarizing results of a UK wide monitoring programme for radioactivity in food and environment. This monitoring has been conducted by the Environment Agency and the Food Standards Agency. The monitoring programme assesses the levels of radioactivity and the amount of radiation the public is exposed to near 39 nuclear sites in the UK.

The reports may be viewed on the Gov.uk website.

Electromagnetic Radiation

Non-Ionising

Electromagnetic Radiation emitted from mobile telephone base stations, radio transmitters, and microwave links.

The siting and location of these units are subject to the planning process. As a consultee in the planning process the Environmental Health & Safer Places Team, they refer to the appropriate standards and makes recommendations to the Planning Team on the siting of mobile phone base stations, transmitters and microwave links.

Electromagnetic Radiation from home and workplace wireless-based technologies (e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cordless telephones)

European Directive 93/68/EEC (22 July 1993) stipulates that items of radio equipment with the CE mark will not produce radiation which would cause any danger.