The conditions under which radioactive material is stored at Lyons Estate, Rathcoole, County Dublin do not create a radiological or health hazard. It is low-level waste produced from medical and veterinary procedures carried out at the various laboratories on the UCD campus and the Veterinary College, Ballsbridge. The majority of the waste is in solid form consisting of phials, test tubes, pipette tips and paper tissues stored in strong plastic bags and labelled in accordance with international standards. There is also some low-level liquid waste stored in 25-litre drums. The radioactive waste is stored in a secure outhouse which is remote from occupied areas. The store is permanently locked and a warning sign is attached to the door.
It is difficult to give an exact figure for the total activity in the store at any time but it is estimated to be less than 300 megabecquerels. The waste is disposed of when the level of activity has decayed over time to that specified in the licence permitting its disposal as ordinary domestic waste.