Third radioactive particle uncovered on Dalgety Bay
The particle was discovered outside of the contamination area
A THIRD significantly radioactive particle has been recovered from a beach at the centre of a contamination scare, it has emerged.
• Tests are now being carried out on the particle found at Dalgety Bay, Fife at the end of April
• Particle discovered outside area cordoned-off to the public
Tests are now being carried out on the particle found by scientists in front of the headland at Dalgety Bay, Fife at the end of April.
It was discovered outside the area which is cordoned-off to the public, but in a section of beach said to be used infrequently.
More than 2,000 radioactive particles are thought to have been uncovered since October, when high-activity radiation was found at the bay and parts of the beach were closed.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said the latest particle is the third to measure around 2 MBq, a unit of measurement known as a megabecquerel.
It is well below two other “very high activity” sources previously unearthed, which recorded much larger readings of 76MBq and 13MBq.
In a statement, Sepa said: “This is the third source around the 2MBq found. Although significantly higher than the usual activity we would expect to be find, it is lower than the two very high activity particles previously found (76MBq and 13MBq).
“Both the MoD’s (Ministry of Defence) contractor and Sepa detected it, and Sepa recovered it.”
The contamination is thought to stem from residue of radium-coated instrument panels used on military aircraft which were incinerated and put in landfill in the area at the end of the Second World War.
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Wednesday 19 June 2013
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