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landmarker
26-Jan-06, 23:28
Having seen the recent BBC series 'Coast' and generally mulling over the consequences of the nuclear facility at Dounreay I want to ask a question.

Would anyone in Caithness avoid nearby beaches because of the possibility of nuclear contamination?

I'm asking an honest question because I have no idea what local feeling is. Would you/are you happy for your children to play on the beaches closest to Dounreay?

I'm not trying to whip anything up just genuinely interested to know.The locals tend to know best in my opinion.

If this is covered in other threads, forgive me - though I'd appreciate a link - thanks.

spiggie
26-Jan-06, 23:29
i wouldnt personally be happy about children playing on Dunnet beach as there have been radioactive particles found there in the past, and it is always being closley monitored.

daviddd
26-Jan-06, 23:30
not worried at all - and i don't work for UKAEA....

cullbucket
26-Jan-06, 23:31
No problem for me - I used to go surfing at sandside all the time, probably wouldnt take the kids to sandside now, theres much nicer beaches out west anyway...

knightofeth
26-Jan-06, 23:41
Yes, I would be happy to allow kids to play on sandside, however as cullbucket says I would rather go out west as the beaches are a lot nicer. Nothing to do with the particles though, they don't worry me.

JAWS
27-Jan-06, 00:12
The problem for me is, what is a 'radioactive particle'? I know very little about what the particles being found are actually radiating.

I was exposed to radioactive particles for all my teenage years and well into my twenties. Most if my generation were also exposed and the particles wre usually within a few millimetres of our skin for hours every day.

The particles were on the face of something called a luminous wristwatch. The radioactive particles were what made it glow in the dark, hence the question, what is a 'radioactive particle'?

What nobody ever says, in layman’s terms, just what the extent of the danger is and without knowing that they might as well tell me they have found an explosive.
Is it a lost firework from bonfire night or an old Second World War Sea Mine stuffed to the brim with enough explosives to cause damage for a mile around.

Until somebody gives a calm, sane and honest answer everything is guesswork. You make your guess and you follow your choice.
One thing I am certain of is that I've never had to climb over a pile of bodies to get to any of the beaches.

Oh yes, I am assured that it is still safe to shake me by the hand, my wrist is definitely not radioactive! :grin:

Rheghead
27-Jan-06, 00:16
Can someone tell me what their cause for concern is that surrounds the radioactive particles?

Saveman
27-Jan-06, 00:24
Can someone tell me what their cause for concern is that surrounds the radioactive particles?

radioactive = bad
non-radioactive = good

thats how the media portrays it anyway....

Rheghead
27-Jan-06, 00:30
radioactive = bad
non-radioactive = good
..

It can also be

non-radioactive = bad
radioactive = good

Saveman
27-Jan-06, 00:33
So a serious question then (cos I don't know a lot about it) are the radioactive particles on Reay Beach and Dunnet beach bad or good or neither?

The Enigma
27-Jan-06, 00:37
I could be wrong, but I dont think any of the particles found on the beaches round here have been dangerous.

It doesnt put me off going to the beach anyway.

Saveman
27-Jan-06, 00:39
I could be wrong, but I dont think any of the particles found on the beaches round here have been dangerous.

It doesnt put me off going to the beach anyway.

No me neither....I'm just curious.
If Dounreay is the source of the particles, how did they get there?

Rheghead
27-Jan-06, 00:40
So a serious question then (cos I don't know a lot about it) are the radioactive particles on Reay Beach and Dunnet beach bad or good or neither?

Well for me they are good.

I have the beach to myself invariably other than maybe some surfers and fellow dogwalkers. I can enjoy my birdwatching in peace and enjoy the solice of the place.

jjc
27-Jan-06, 00:42
Would anyone in Caithness avoid nearby beaches because of the possibility of nuclear contamination?
Nope, not me.

Saveman
27-Jan-06, 00:44
Well for me they are good.

I have the beach to myself invariably other than maybe some surfers and fellow dogwalkers. I can enjoy my birdwatching in peace and enjoy the solice of the place.


So they do no harm to the enviroment?

The Enigma
27-Jan-06, 00:46
No me neither....I'm just curious.
If Dounreay is the source of the particles, how did they get there?

I guess they get into the sea at Dounreay and the tide carries them round to the beaches?

Rheghead
27-Jan-06, 00:47
So they do no harm to the enviroment?

I don't think they do.

Saveman
27-Jan-06, 00:54
I don't think they do.


Well alright then. :)

Reiss Beach on a moonlit night is amazing.....in fact any time day or night no matter the weather: its a great place to be.
Dunnet Beach is great fun, loads of wee flat fish (not their official name) in the shallows. They shoot about if you paddle too near them!
Reay Beach I've never been too.

Out west.....well don't start me!

Rheghead
27-Jan-06, 01:01
Well alright then. :)

Reiss Beach on a moonlit night is amazing.....in fact any time day or night no matter the weather: its a great place to be.
Dunnet Beach is great fun, loads of wee flat fish (not their official name) in the shallows. They shoot about if you paddle too near them!
Reay Beach I've never been too.

Out west.....well don't start me!

Sandside beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the north coast. Moonlight night there is absolutely amazing as well. I used to go bass fishing there until I went veggie and they were a good size most of the time. Out west they have better beaches that I agree, but we are comparing Monet's early period with his middle period aren't we?:)

Saveman
27-Jan-06, 01:08
Sandside beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the north coast. Moonlight night there is absolutely amazing as well. I used to go bass fishing there until I went veggie and they were a good size most of the time. Out west they have better beaches that I agree, but we are comparing Monet's early period with his middle period aren't we?:)

A Beach is a beach is a beach! And you can quote me on that! Science has proved that the natural sounds of the sea are calming to the mind, as well as wind through trees, a babbling burn etc.

I quote a budding poet...."so where's the real romance today? A rocky cove and sandy bay!" Can't remember the rest.... :confused
I did try to go to Sandside once, but I was met with a big sign about "Foot and Mouth" that's a few years ago......I'll take a run up on your recommendation.... :)

goldenguernsey
27-Jan-06, 04:28
Ah yes, I well remember old FMD. It seems you were quite fortunate up here not to be contaminated with the dreaded disease, we were not so lucky living down in England at the time. I can honestly tell you it resulted in some catastrophic events, suicide for some and death threats to others who were accused of bringing it into the area.
My own livestock were right on the edge of the cull line, 4km radius was the designated area for contiguous slaughter, it was a nightmare. Since that time the area has gone from a TB free zone to a TB infected zone as people re stocked from way down south and brought TB back with the livestock. Now that FMD is no longer a threat, sadly TB is causing its own problems.

brandy
27-Jan-06, 10:45
from what i understand.. which i admit im no expert!
but a partical is normally no bigger than a grain of sand.
and they have very low levels of radiation.
way back when when dounreay was a working experimental reactor they flushed stuff out into the sea.
i think..
and now years later when they know what damage it can cause
they are doing their best to rectify a mistake that was made in ignorance.
the sea bed has particles in it and is washed up on shore.. so that is why both is monitored.. and everything is kept a close eye on..
but if you think about it.. walking down the main street in aberdeen you get more radiation from all the granite *grins* so nope no worried about taking the kids to the beach because of particles..
more worried about broken glass and jelly fish than particles!

Countryman
27-Jan-06, 11:17
No problem have always used Reay beach and always will - the particles cause me no concern. I belive that the reason that the situation has been hyped up is money.

Bobinovich
27-Jan-06, 14:07
I spent much of my youth on beaches on the North coast and was never worried about it then or now. We still take our kids to many of the beaches and are not concerned - they play in the sand and get covered in the stuff, and I'd imagine they must ingest some when having a picnic.

From what I understand there have only been 10's or, at most, 100's of sand-grain-sized particles found to date so the likelihood of finding, let alone ingesting, one is less than minute.

wickerinca
27-Jan-06, 16:31
The beaches..........the sea.......Oh! I am homesick!! I wouldn't stay away from the beaches because of the particles!!.......wouldn't stay away from the beaches for any reason. Very soothing to the soul.........especially on a windy day!!!

landmarker
27-Jan-06, 18:45
Thanks for all the responses. Food for thought.

wickerinca
27-Jan-06, 18:53
No problem have always used Reay beach and always will - the particles cause me no concern. I belive that the reason that the situation has been hyped up is money.

May have a very valid opinion there, Countryman!!:grin:

Stargazer
27-Jan-06, 19:02
There are far greater dangers in everyday life that we are quite prepared to accept as the norm. The danger from the particles is miniscule. You are more likely to be in a car crash going to the beach that ever meeting a particle.

The beaches in Caithness are great and uncrowded. A good walk on a beach here will probably add to your life expectancy.

George Brims
27-Jan-06, 21:22
As I recall, the particles found at Dunnet last year turned out to be naturally radioactive (there's low-grade uranium ore in Caithness and Orkney, folks!), rather than something connected to Dounreay. The stuff that turns up at Sandside is from Dounreay. I'd probably avoid Sandside, but not any other beaches.

JAWS
27-Jan-06, 21:48
Brandy, you are probably right about Aberdeen.

Nobody seems to suggest that people avoid parts of Devon and Cornwall where radiation fron Radon is well above the recommended levels for use in industry. The radiation has been there as long as there have been humans and presumably always will. Derbyshire is largely the same.

Granite gives off radiation like it or not and probably more than that of all the particles found locally.

Much of the anxiety caused over radiation is caused by people and groups with certain agendas and is created in order to help them gain there wishes.

landmarker
27-Jan-06, 22:03
Yes, I suppose that as there is so much monitoring it's inevitable that finds will be made ocassionally. I did not know granite gives off radiation !

living and learning landmarker

mischief
27-Jan-06, 22:54
i wouldn't need to go on the beaches around dounreay as i have a natural glow!!! ha ha!:grin:

2little2late
27-Jan-06, 22:56
My bairns think it's fun playing on the beaches. They have even more fun at night when they see each other glowing in the dark

stekar
27-Jan-06, 23:09
Last summer the kids were making sandcastles on Dunnet Beach, and we had no worries about it all.

The beach is so big and only one particle has been found, and as previously mentioned, was nothing to do with Dounreay.

Rheghead
27-Jan-06, 23:12
didn't they find 3 radio active particles on Dunnet? 2 natural, one was from Dounreay?

stekar
27-Jan-06, 23:15
didn't they find 3 radio active particles on Dunnet? 2 natural, one was from Dounreay?

Erm, dunno...

r.rackstraw
27-Jan-06, 23:43
Information on the risks from particles can be found in this report http://www.ukaea.org.uk/downloads/dounreay/Technical_resume.pdf

The risk of risk of death from ingesting a particle on Sandside beach is 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000. By contrast, the risk of being struck by lightning is 1 in 18,700,000. So you are more than a million times more likely to be fried by lightning than by a particle.

The Dounreay particles problem has been blown out of all proportion by the media and by individuals who have their own reasons.

kas
28-Jan-06, 00:10
I would tend to worry more about Thurso beach and the outfall pipe from the sewage system. Although I think the new sewage works is going to make a big improvement.
A few years back I had to collect samples from the seashore and rock pools for my work. We had to have a few jabs for hepatitis before being allowed to do this. Some of the areas at Thurso East were pretty awful, the stench was horrendous and some rock pools were full of brown and green gunge.

Have to agree the beaches up west are beautiful.

connieb19
28-Jan-06, 00:52
I think we have far nicer beaches than abroad..:D

daviddd
28-Jan-06, 11:24
I would tend to worry more about Thurso beach and the outfall pipe from the sewage system. Although I think the new sewage works is going to make a big improvement.
A few years back I had to collect samples from the seashore and rock pools for my work. We had to have a few jabs for hepatitis before being allowed to do this. Some of the areas at Thurso East were pretty awful, the stench was horrendous and some rock pools were full of brown and green gunge.

Have to agree the beaches up west are beautiful.what you saw and smelt is unlikely to be sewage - rotting seaweed more likely Kas...

Rheghead
28-Jan-06, 11:50
what you saw and smelt is unlikely to be sewage - rotting seaweed more likely Kas...

She may be right, the proof of which might be the tomato plants that seeded at the scrabster end last year?