Accidents Overseas

 

Radioactive material released from sites overseas can affect the UK, as happened with Chernobyl in 1986.

 

The radiation doses from Chernobyl to people in the UK were small compared with back ground radiation. For several years, farmers in areas where heavy rain fell during the clouds passage overhead were not allowed to sell sheep. These bans were intended to keep public radiation doses low.

 

The UK has the RIMNET monitoring network to detect radioactive releases and computer programs to predict their movement.