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Radioactive materials have a number of valuable uses in science, engineering, medicine and power generation. At the same time, ionising radiation can severely damage both human health and wildlife. Therefore, there are strict regulations for the monitoring and control of sources of ionising radiation. In England and Wales, the regulations of the environmental aspects of ionising radiation are applied through the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016; in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the respective Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) regulations apply the requirements for regulating radioactive substances.

Major accidents are events that have the potential for catastrophic consequences in relation to human health and safety and serious environmental impact. They are associated with fires, explosions, serious damage to plant and uncontrolled release of toxic or other dangerous substances.

The endocrine system, which exists in all mammals, birds, fish and many other living organisms, co-ordinates and regulates the release of hormones. However, in the environment, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can cause significant harm, as in the definition by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as “substances in our environment, food and consumer products that can disrupt hormonal balance in humans and wildlife and result in adverse health effects.”

“Nuisance” refers to the causing of discomfort by one person or entity to another.