Corporate report

Dounreay foreshore particle finds from 2021 to present

Updated 27 October 2023

This corporate report was withdrawn on

The particle finds attachment pages are updated as and when particles are found.

The details of particle finds on Dounreay foreshore.

2022

ID Number Date Easting Northing Depth cm Cs137 Bq Co60 Bq Nb94 Bq Am-241 Type Category Comments
DF/22/001 04/02/2022 298377 967058 10 3.60E+05 <6.8E+00 1.40E+03 <6.6E+01 - Relevant 16 hour count
DF/22/002 14/02/2022 298308 966982 26 1.50E+06 <7.0E+00 <2.4E+01 2.40E+03 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/003 14/02/2022 298332 966998 8 3.40E+06 <2.4E+01 <8.1E+01 2.90E+03 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/004 14/02/2022 298358 966996 4 7.50E+05 <4.5E+00 <1.6E+01 1.30E+03 - Relevant 16 hour count
DF/22/005 14/02/2022 298350 966989 8 2.10E+05 <9.2E+00 <2.1E+01 3.70E+02 - Relevant 16 hour count
DF/22/006 08/03/2022 298354 967072 17 1.30E+06 <6.5E+00 <1.9E+01 6.30E+02 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/007 08/03/2022 298361 967012 16 4.50E+06 <2.3E+01 <8.3E+01 4.20E+03 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/008 08/03/2022 298369 967057 10 1.90E+06 <1.1E+01 <3.6E+01 7.90E+02 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/009 08/03/2022 298386 967040 4 1.60E+06 <2.1E+01 <5.7E+01 5.00E+03 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/010 08/03/2022 298389 967051 7 5.30E+05 <4.0E+00 <1.1E+01 1.80E+03 - Relevant 16 hour count
DF/22/011 14/03/2022 298718 967409 7 1.20E+06 <6.0E+00 <2.8E+01 9.10E+02 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/012 14/03/2022 298721 967410 16 3.30E+06 <1.6E+01 <3.7E+01 2.30E+03 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/013 15/03/2022 298285 966977 36 2.00E+06 <1.3E+01 <2.8E+01 2.10E+03 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/014 22/03/2022 298273 966981 14 4.50E+06 <2.3E+01 <4.3E+01 6.10E+03 - Significant 16 hour count
DF/22/015 28/03/2022 298722 967410 8 8.50E+06 <4.3E+01 <8.1E+01 <2.0E+03 - Significant 16 hour count

2021

ID Number Date Easting Northing Depth cm Cs137 Bq Co60 Bq Nb94 Bq Am-241 Type Category Comments
DF/21/001 16/04/21 298350 967029 15 9.60E+05 <9.7E+00 <2.5E+01 2.30E+03 - Relevant 16 hour count
DF/21/002 03/11/2021 298300 966952 3 5.40E+05 <1.5E+01 <3.5E+01 4.40E+02 - Relevant 16 hour count
DF/21/003 18/11/2021 298261 966979 12 9.70E+05 <6.7E+00 <1.5E+01 2.30E+03 - Relevant 16 hour count
DF/21/004 18/11/2021 298298 966984 7 1.20E+05 <3.7E+00 <9.1E+00 6.40E+01 - Relevant 16 hour count
DF/21/005 03/12/2021 298366 967027 4 4.60E+05 <7.1E+00 <2.1E+01 1.90E+02 - Relevant 16 hour count

Glossary of terms

Term Explanation
ID number Unique reference number given to each particle
Date Date on which the particle was found
Easting East co-ordinate of particle find in UK national grid
Northing North co-ordinate of particle find in UK national grid
Depth Approximate depth in centimetres at which the particle was located
Cs137 Bq Content of Caesium 137 activity in the particle, measured in becquerels
Co60 Bq Content of Cobalt 60 activity in the particle, measured in becquerels
Nb94 Bq Content of Niobium 94 activity in the particle, measured in becquerels
Am-241 Content of Americium-241 activity in the particle, measured in becquerels
Type Type of particle. Particles are generally of 3 main types depending on the origin of the particle, but a fourth type, denoted by U, has also been identified
Type of particle code Type of particle
DFR Originated from Dounreay Fast Reactor
MTR Originated from a Materials Test Reactor
SS Stainless steel, originated from DFR or PFR (Prototype Fast Reactor) cladding materials
U Contain irradiated uranium oxide, which could have originated from MTR or DFR fuel

Note: particle type is determined from analysis. Where required SEM/Edax is carried out, with the agreement of SEPA, on selected particles.

Comments: Some particles, when separated in the laboratory from the associated sediments, are found to comprise more than 1 fragment. The number of fragments are identified.