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Environmental behaviour and effects
Published in R.J. Pentreath, Nuclear Power, Man and the Environment, 2019
So far the environment has only been discussed in relation to providing pathways of radiation exposure to man. And it is true that the major effort has been expended on ensuring that the quantities of radioactivity released into the environment are kept low enough for there to be no detectable detriment to man. There are, however, sound reasons for obtaining as full an understanding as possible of the behaviour, and effects, of radioactivity in the environment. First of all there are philosophical reasons: if potentially noxious substances are to be deliberately discharged into the environment then one should know what happens to them. Secondly, it is necessary to learn something of the mechanisms by which radionuclides are transported under different environmental conditions in order to make predictions for new sites, to make predictions of the long-term fate of the longer lived radionuclides, and to employ mathematical models such as those of systems analysis. Thirdly, it is obviously necessary to consider the effects of radiation on the different components of the ecosystem; not only because of the possible deleterious effects on the fauna and flora in general – a perfectly laudable and sufficient reason in itself – but because man may also be disadvantaged if important food resources are adversely affected. There is no equivalent to the set of ICRP guidelines – which relate only to man – for any other species. Because of all these reasons a considerable research effort has been mounted over the years to learn a good deal about the environmental behaviour and effects of radioactivity. All sources of information have been used – naturally occurring radionuclides, fallout from the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, and the controlled authorized discharges of low-level waste from the nuclear industries. The study of radioactivity in the environment has even become a recognized branch of science in its own right- radioecology.
Absent, yet present? Moving with ‘Responsible Research and Innovation’ in radiation protection research
Published in Journal of Responsible Innovation, 2018
Michiel Van Oudheusden, Catrinel Turcanu, Susan Molyneux-Hodgson
Radiation protection (RP) is a subfield in nuclear science and technology where various scientific disciplines (e.g. radiobiology, epidemiology, dosimetry, radioecology) converge to enhance research for ‘[t]he protection of people from harmful effects of exposure to ionizing radiation and the means for achieving this’ (IAEA 2016). Significant milestones in its development include the establishment of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in 1928 and international legislation for the protection of workers (ILO 1960). Research in RP is burgeoning due, for example, to changing understandings of the health effects of low radiation doses; increasing use of ionizing radiation in medical applications; growing attention to decommissioning and environmental remediation projects; and ongoing issues related to nuclear accidents. European RP research is currently structured around five research ‘platforms’, under an overarching joint programme called CONCERT.1 These coordinated initiatives seek to address technical and societal challenges related to RP in an integrated manner.