A radiation detector capable of continuously measuring radioactive contamination in the sea, which is particularly suitable for measuring discharges from Sellafield, has been deployed in the Irish Sea.
The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, in co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Environment and Heritage Service of Northern Ireland, has deployed an experimental buoy in the north-western Irish Sea. The project will run for 12 months.
The measurements will be transmitted daily via satellite to the IAEA's marine environmental laboratory in Monaco and from there relayed to the RPII's laboratory in Dublin. The collection and laboratory analysis of sea water samples will complement these measurements.