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Radioactive Substances

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What are radioactive substances?

Radioactive substances are materials or waste that contain unstable atomic nuclei, known as radionuclides, which release energy and particles through a process called radioactive decay. 

While radioactive substances have a number of useful purposes and are routinely used in Scotland for medical treatment, energy generation, and various industrial processes, exposure to radiation can be harmful to human health and the environment. 

As Scotland’s environmental regulator, our role is to ensure these substances are managed safely to protect human health and the environment, while supporting the sustainable use of natural resources. We do this by: 

  • regulating the management of radioactive substances to prevent pollution; 
  • carrying out environmental monitoring across Scotland’s air, land and water; 
  • providing advice and guidance; 
  • working with national and international partners to maintain high standards of safety and environmental protection; 
  • investigating historic areas of contamination, and 
  • responding to incidents 

The management of radioactive substances is regulated under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR) (available to read on Legislation.gov.uk). These regulations ensure that suitable controls are in place that are proportionate to the nature of the activity and any associated risks to human health and the environment. These regulations apply to both nuclear and non-nuclear industries. 

Types of nuclear industry sites

The nuclear industry includes power stations that generate electricity from a nuclear reactor, nuclear sites undergoing decommissioning and some defence activities.  

At civil nuclear licensed sites, our role is to regulate the management of radioactive waste in accordance with EASR and other environmental legislation. We work with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) at civil nuclear licensed sites, and we have a Memorandum of Understanding with them. Torness Power Station is the only civil nuclear licensed site in operation in Scotland. 

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is exempt from the provisions of EASR for radioactive substances activities. It is MoD policy to introduce standards and arrangements, where reasonably practicable, that are at least as good as those that would have applied had they not been exempt. MoD sites in Scotland are His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, Rosyth Royal Dockyard and the Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment. 

We have agreed with the MoD, through a Memorandum of Understanding, that the provisions of EASR will be applied by administrative arrangements, formalised through letters of approval. These arrangements ensure that the regulation of MoD installations is consistent with that used for equivalent civilian nuclear operators where practicable.  

Decommissioning is a complex operation, and timescales can extend from decades to hundreds of years. A number of Scotland’s nuclear licensed sites have reached the end of their productive life and are in varying stages of decommissioning. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for overseeing the decommissioning of the UK's civil nuclear sites. We maintain a memorandum of understanding with the NDA, in which they agree to develop and maintain an effective and transparent working relationship with us. 

The decommissioning sites in Scotland are Dounreay, Chapelcross, and Hunterston A and B. We also provide joint published decommissioning guidance on our guidance and supporting documents page. 

Non-nuclear industries

Industries that use radioactive substances, but are not part of the nuclear industry, are collectively known as the non-nuclear industry and include hospitals, universities and industries which use or produce radioactive substances. These industries use radioactive substances for: 

  • Diagnosing and treating medical conditions in both humans and animals. 
  • Measurement and control of industrial processes. 
  • Materials testing, including industrial radiography. 
  • Scientific and medical research, and teaching. 
  • Radioactive waste generate as a by-products of their activities such as offshore oil abstraction, mining, and processing metals. 

Contact us

You can report an incident involving radioactive material or radioactive waste by calling our 24 hour pollution hotline on 0800 807 060. Find more information on our Emergency preparedness and response page. 

For more information or advice on the legislation and regulation of radioactive substances, please contact us.