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Beresford NA, Beaugelin-Seiller K, Barnett CL, Brown J, Doering C, Caffrey E, Johansen MP, Melintescu A, Ruedig E, Vandenhove H, Vives I Batlle J, Wood MD, Yankovich TL, Copplestone D. Ensuring robust radiological risk assessment for wildlife: insights from the International Atomic Energy Agency EMRAS and MODARIA programmes. J Radiol Prot 2022; 42:020512. [PMID: 35502472 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ac6043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In response to changing international recommendations and national requirements, a number of assessment approaches, and associated tools and models, have been developed over the last circa 20 years to assess radiological risk to wildlife. In this paper, we summarise international intercomparison exercises and scenario applications of available radiological assessment models for wildlife to aid future model users and those such as regulators who interpret assessments. Through our studies, we have assessed the fitness for purpose of various models and tools, identified the major sources of uncertainty and made recommendations on how the models and tools can best be applied to suit the purposes of an assessment. We conclude that the commonly used tiered or graded assessment tools are generally fit for purpose for conducting screening-level assessments of radiological impacts to wildlife. Radiological protection of the environment (or wildlife) is still a relatively new development within the overall system of radiation protection and environmental assessment approaches are continuing to develop. Given that some new/developing approaches differ considerably from the more established models/tools and there is an increasing international interest in developing approaches that support the effective regulation of multiple stressors (including radiation), we recommend the continuation of coordinated international programmes for model development, intercomparison and scenario testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- N A Beresford
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, United Kingdom
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, M5 4WT, United Kingdom
| | - K Beaugelin-Seiller
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, PSE/ENV/SRTE, Centre de Cadarache, Saint-Pual-Les-Durance, BP3 13115, France
| | - C L Barnett
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, United Kingdom
| | - J Brown
- Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), PO Box 55, No-1332 Østerås, Norway
| | - C Doering
- Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - E Caffrey
- Radian Scientific, LLC, Huntsville, AL, United States of America
| | - M P Johansen
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Sydney, Australia
| | - A Melintescu
- 'Horia Hulubei' National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului St., POB MG-6, Magurele, Bucharest, RO-077125, Romania
| | - E Ruedig
- BHP, 201 CW Santa Fe Av., Grants, NM 87404, United States of America
| | - H Vandenhove
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - J Vives I Batlle
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - M D Wood
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, M5 4WT, United Kingdom
| | - T L Yankovich
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Assessment and Management of Environmental Releases Unit, PO Box 100, Vienna, 1400, Austria
| | - D Copplestone
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom
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2
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Goulet RR, Newsome L, Vandenhove H, Keum DK, Horyna J, Kamboj S, Brown J, Johansen MP, Twining J, Wood MD, Černe M, Beaugelin-Seiller K, Beresford NA. Best practices for predictions of radionuclide activity concentrations and total absorbed dose rates to freshwater organisms exposed to uranium mining/milling. J Environ Radioact 2022; 244-245:106826. [PMID: 35134696 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Predictions of radionuclide dose rates to freshwater organisms can be used to evaluate the radiological environmental impacts of releases from uranium mining and milling projects. These predictions help inform decisions on the implementation of mitigation measures. The objective of this study was to identify how dose rate modelling could be improved to reduce uncertainty in predictions to non-human biota. For this purpose, we modelled the activity concentrations of 210Pb, 210Po, 226Ra, 230Th, and 238U downstream of uranium mines and mills in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, together with associated weighted absorbed dose rates for a freshwater food chain using measured activity concentrations in water and sediments. Differences in predictions of radionuclide activity concentrations occurred mainly from the different default partition coefficient and concentration ratio values from one model to another and including all or only some 238U decay daughters in the dose rate assessments. Consequently, we recommend a standardized best-practice approach to calculate weighted absorbed dose rates to freshwater biota whether a facility is at the planning, operating or decommissioned stage. At the initial planning stage, the best-practice approach recommend using conservative site-specific baseline activity concentrations in water, sediments and organisms and predict conservative incremental activity concentrations in these media by selecting concentration ratios based on species similarity and similar water quality conditions to reduce the uncertainty in dose rate calculations. At the operating and decommissioned stages, the best-practice approach recommends relying on measured activity concentrations in water, sediment, fish tissue and whole-body of small organisms to further reduce uncertainty in dose rate estimates. This approach would allow for more realistic but still conservative dose assessments when evaluating impacts from uranium mining projects and making decision on adequate controls of releases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard R Goulet
- CanmetMINING, Natural Resources Canada, Canada; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada.
| | - Laura Newsome
- Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | - Dong-Kwon Keum
- Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Republic of Korea
| | - Jan Horyna
- State Office for Nuclear Safety, Czech Republic; Moskevska 74, 10100, Prague 10, Czech Republic
| | | | - Justin Brown
- Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Norway
| | | | - John Twining
- Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organization, Australia
| | | | - Marko Černe
- Institute of Agriculture and Tourism, Poreč, Croatia; Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Nicholas A Beresford
- University of Salford, United Kingdom; UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, United Kingdom
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Beresford NA, Wood MD, Gashchak S, Barnett CL. Current ionising radiation doses in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone do not directly impact on soil biological activity. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263600. [PMID: 35196340 PMCID: PMC8865656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although soil organisms are essential for ecosystem function, the impacts of radiation on soil biological activity at highly contaminated sites has been relatively poorly studied. In April-May 2016, we conducted the first largescale deployment of bait lamina to estimate soil organism (largely soil invertebrate) feeding activity in situ at study plots in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). Across our 53 study plots, estimated weighted absorbed dose rates to soil organisms ranged from 0.7 μGy h-1 to 1753 μGy h-1. There was no significant relationship between soil organism feeding activity and estimated weighted absorbed dose rate. Soil biological activity did show significant relationships with soil moisture content, bulk density (used as a proxy for soil organic matter) and pH. At plots in the Red Forest (an area of coniferous plantation where trees died because of high radiation exposure in 1986) soil biological activity was low compared to plots elsewhere in the CEZ. It is possible that the lower biological activity observed in the Red Forest is a residual consequence of what was in effect an acute high exposure to radiation in 1986.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Beresford
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom
- School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael D. Wood
- School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sergey Gashchak
- International Radioecology Laboratory, Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste & Radioecology, Slavutych, Kyiv Region, Ukraine
| | - Catherine L. Barnett
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom
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Anderson D, Beresford NA, Ishiniwa H, Onuma M, Nanba K, Hinton TG. Radiocesium concentration ratios and radiation dose to wild rodents in Fukushima Prefecture. J Environ Radioact 2021; 226:106457. [PMID: 33227677 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Radiocesium was dispersed from the Fukushima Dai-ichi disaster in March 2011, causing comparatively high radioactive contamination in nearby environments. Radionuclide concentrations in wild rodents (Apodemus argenteus, and Apodemus speciosus) within these areas were monitored from 2012 to 2016. However, whole-organism to soil transfer parameters (i.e., concentration ratio, CRwo-soil) for wild rodents at Fukushima were not determined and hence were lacking from the international transfer databases. We augmented the 2012-2016 data by collecting soil activity concentrations (Bq kg-1, dry mass) from five rodent sampling sites in Fukushima Prefecture, and developed corresponding CRwo-soil values for radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) based on rodent radioactivity concentrations (Bq kg-1, fresh mass). The CRwo-soil were added to the Wildlife Transfer Database (WTD; http://www.wildlifetransferdatabase.org/), supporting the development of the International Commission on Radiological Protection's (ICRP) environmental protection framework, and increasing the WTD from 84 to 477 entries for cesium and Muridae ('Reference Rat'). Significant variation occurred in CRwo-soil values between study sites within Fukushima Prefecture. The geometric mean CRwo-soil, in this paper, was higher than that reported for Muridae species for Chernobyl. Radiocaesium absorbed dose rates were also estimated for wild rodents inhabiting the five Fukushima study sites and ranged from 1.3 to 33 μGy h-1. Absorbed dose rates decreased by a factor of two from 2012 to 2016. Dose rates in highly contaminated areas were within the ICRP derived consideration reference level for Reference Rat (0.1-1 mGy d-1), suggesting the possible occurrence of deleterious effects and need for radiological effect studies in the Fukushima area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donovan Anderson
- Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Fukushima City, Kanayagawa, 960-1248, Japan.
| | - Nicholas A Beresford
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Center, Library Av., Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Hiroko Ishiniwa
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Fukushima City, Kanayagawa, 960-1248, Japan
| | - Manabu Onuma
- Ecological Risk Assessment and Control Section, Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0053, Japan
| | - Kenji Nanba
- Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Fukushima City, Kanayagawa, 960-1248, Japan; Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Fukushima City, Kanayagawa, 960-1248, Japan
| | - Thomas G Hinton
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Fukushima City, Kanayagawa, 960-1248, Japan; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, CoE, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty for Environmental Sciences and Nature Research Management, 1430, Åas, Norway
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Beaugelin-Seiller K, Garnier-Laplace J, Beresford NA. Estimating radiological exposure of wildlife in the field. J Environ Radioact 2020; 211:105830. [PMID: 30385053 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The assessment of the ecological impact due to radionuclides at contaminated sites requires estimation of the exposure of wildlife, in order to correlate radiation dose with known radiological effects. The robust interpretation of field data requires consideration of possible confounding effects (e.g., from the tsunami at Fukushima) and an accurate and relevant quantification of radiation doses to biota. Generally, in field studies the exposure of fauna and flora has often been characterised as measurements of the ambient dose rate or activity concentrations in some components of the environment. The use of such data does not allow the establishment of a robust dose-effect relationship for wildlife exposed to ionising radiation in the field. Effects of exposure to radioactivity depend on the total amount of energy deposited into exposed organisms, which is estimated by adding doses (or dose rates) for all radionuclides and exposure pathways. Realistic dose estimation needs to reflect the entire story of the organisms of interest during their whole exposure period. The process of identifying and collecting all the related information should allow the "W" questions (Which organisms are exposed, Where, When and hoW) to be answered. Some parameters are well known to influence dose (rate): the organism life stage, its ecological characteristics (e.g. habitat, behaviour), the source term properties (e.g. discharging facility, nature of radiation), etc. The closer the collated data are to the ideal data set, the more accurate and realistic the dose (rate) assessment will be. This means characterising each exposure pathway (internal and external), the activity concentration in each exposure source, the time each organism spends in a given place, as well as the associated dose. In this paper the process of data collation in view of dose reconstruction is illustrated for Japanese birds exposed to radioactive deposition following the Fukushima accident. With respect to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone we will also consider variability under field conditions, availability of relevant datasets and options for better estimating internal and external doses received by wildlife.
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Charrasse B, Anderson A, Mora JC, Smith J, Cohenny E, Ikonen ATK, Kangasniemi V, Zorko B, Bonchuk Y, Beaumelle L, Gunawardena N, Amado V, Liptak L, Leclerc E, Telleria D. Does the use of reference organisms in radiological impact assessments provide adequate protection of all the species within an environment? Sci Total Environ 2019; 658:189-198. [PMID: 30577017 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Non-human biota in radiological risk assessment is typically evaluated using Reference Organisms (ROs) or Reference Animals and Plants (RAPs), for all exposure situations. However, it still remains open whether the use of an increased number of species would improve the ability to demonstrate protectiveness of the environment. In this paper, the representativeness of a broader list of fauna is tested in terms of the geometrical characteristics and habits for radiological risk assessments in the case of routine discharges from a nuclear installation: the Cadarache centre. A list of terrestrial animal species, compiled from ecological inventories carried out around it was evaluated. A first survey around the centre inventoried >400 terrestrial fauna species, which were then filtered to reduce the number to 28 species for which dose assessments were carried out. Despite the differences between geometries for those site-specific species and the ROs (including RAPs), the absorbed dose rates calculated for both were very close (within a factor of two). Regardless of the studied organism, the absorbed dose rates calculated for the discharge scenario were mainly related to internal exposure, particularly for tritium (3H) and carbon 14 (14C), showing that there would be an acceptable dose rates difference between species from the same organism group. Additionally, sensitivity analyses were conducted to determine if the use of generic, predefined ROs was enough to assure an adequate protection of endangered species. It was observed that for every radionuclide the difference between assessments for site-specific species and ROs are unlikely to exceed a factor of 3. Hence, the result of this evaluation indicates that the use of generic ROs for non-human biota radiological risk assessment covers sufficiently other species, including endangered ones.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda Anderson
- Office of Environmental Management, US Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20585, USA
| | - Juan C Mora
- Environment Department, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Justin Smith
- Radiation Assessments Department, Public Health England - Centre for Radiation, Chemical & Environmental Hazards, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RQ, United Kingdom
| | - Emilie Cohenny
- CEA, DEN, DTN, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lès-Durance Cedex, France
| | - Ari T K Ikonen
- EnviroCase Oy/Ltd., Hallituskatu 1 D 4, 28100 Pori, Finland
| | | | - Benjamin Zorko
- Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Yuri Bonchuk
- Ukrainian Radiation Protection Institute, 53, Melnykova str., Kyiv 04050, Ukraine
| | - Léa Beaumelle
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nipun Gunawardena
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, 1495 East 100 South (1550 MEK), Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States of America
| | - Valeria Amado
- Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Av. del Libertador 8250, C1429BNP Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Diego Telleria
- IAEA Assessment and Management of Environmental Releases Unit, Wagramer Str. 5, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria
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Giraudeau M, Bonzom JM, Ducatez S, Beaugelin-Seiller K, Deviche P, Lengagne T, Cavalie I, Camilleri V, Adam-Guillermin C, McGraw KJ. Carotenoid distribution in wild Japanese tree frogs (Hyla japonica) exposed to ionizing radiation in Fukushima. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7438. [PMID: 29743616 PMCID: PMC5943346 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25495-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear accident in the Fukushima prefecture released a large amount of artificial radionuclides that might have short- and long-term biological effects on wildlife. Ionizing radiation can be a harmful source of reactive oxygen species, and previous studies have already shown reduced fitness effects in exposed animals in Chernobyl. Due to their potential health benefits, carotenoid pigments might be used by animals to limit detrimental effects of ionizing radiation exposure. Here, we examined concentrations of carotenoids in blood (i.e. a snapshot of levels in circulation), liver (endogenous carotenoid reserves), and the vocal sac skin (sexual signal) in relation to the total radiation dose rates absorbed by individual (TDR from 0.2 to 34 µGy/h) Japanese tree frogs (Hyla japonica). We found high within-site variability of TDRs, but no significant effects of the TDR on tissue carotenoid levels, suggesting that carotenoid distribution in amphibians might be less sensitive to ionizing radiation exposure than in other organisms or that the potential deleterious effects of radiation exposure might be less significant or more difficult to detect in Fukushima than in Chernobyl due to, among other things, differences in the abundance and mixture of each radionuclide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Giraudeau
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA.
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
| | - Jean-Marc Bonzom
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, 13115, Saint Paul Lez Durance, France.
| | - Simon Ducatez
- School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Karine Beaugelin-Seiller
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, 13115, Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
| | - Pierre Deviche
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA
| | - Thierry Lengagne
- Université de Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5023, Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Bât. Darwin C, F-69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Isabelle Cavalie
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, 13115, Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
| | - Virginie Camilleri
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, 13115, Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
| | - Christelle Adam-Guillermin
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LECO, Cadarache, 13115, Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA
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Stark K, Goméz-Ros JM, Vives I Batlle J, Lindbo Hansen E, Beaugelin-Seiller K, Kapustka LA, Wood MD, Bradshaw C, Real A, McGuire C, Hinton TG. Dose assessment in environmental radiological protection: State of the art and perspectives. J Environ Radioact 2017; 175-176:105-114. [PMID: 28505478 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 04/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to radiation is a potential hazard to humans and the environment. The Fukushima accident reminded the world of the importance of a reliable risk management system that incorporates the dose received from radiation exposures. The dose to humans from exposure to radiation can be quantified using a well-defined system; its environmental equivalent, however, is still in a developmental state. Additionally, the results of several papers published over the last decade have been criticized because of poor dosimetry. Therefore, a workshop on environmental dosimetry was organized by the STAR (Strategy for Allied Radioecology) Network of Excellence to review the state of the art in environmental dosimetry and prioritize areas of methodological and guidance development. Herein, we report the key findings from that international workshop, summarise parameters that affect the dose animals and plants receive when exposed to radiation, and identify further research needs. Current dosimetry practices for determining environmental protection are based on simple screening dose assessments using knowledge of fundamental radiation physics, source-target geometry relationships, the influence of organism shape and size, and knowledge of how radionuclide distributions in the body and in the soil profile alter dose. In screening model calculations that estimate whole-body dose to biota the shapes of organisms are simply represented as ellipsoids, while recently developed complex voxel phantom models allow organ-specific dose estimates. We identified several research and guidance development priorities for dosimetry. For external exposures, the uncertainty in dose estimates due to spatially heterogeneous distributions of radionuclide contamination is currently being evaluated. Guidance is needed on the level of dosimetry that is required when screening benchmarks are exceeded and how to report exposure in dose-effect studies, including quantification of uncertainties. Further research is needed to establish whether and how dosimetry should account for differences in tissue physiology, organism life stages, seasonal variability (in ecology, physiology and radiation field), species life span, and the proportion of a population that is actually exposed. We contend that, although major advances have recently been made in environmental radiation protection, substantive improvements are required to reduce uncertainties and increase the reliability of environmental dosimetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Stark
- Department of Ecology, Environment, and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - José M Goméz-Ros
- Spanish Research Centre in Energy, Environment and Technology, CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Vives I Batlle
- Biosphere Impact Studies Unit, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK•CEN, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth Lindbo Hansen
- Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Department of Research, P.O. Box 55, NO-1332 Østerås, Norway; CERAD Centre of Excellence in Environmental Radioactivity, P.O. Box 5003, No-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Karine Beaugelin-Seiller
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, IRSN, PRP-ENV, SERIS, LRTE, Cadarache, 13115 Saint Paul Lez Durance Cedex, France
| | | | - Michael D Wood
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK
| | - Clare Bradshaw
- Department of Ecology, Environment, and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Almudena Real
- Spanish Research Centre in Energy, Environment and Technology, CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Corynne McGuire
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Strathallan House, Castle Business Park, Stirling FK9 4TZ, UK
| | - Thomas G Hinton
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
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Lourenço J, Mendo S, Pereira R. Radioactively contaminated areas: Bioindicator species and biomarkers of effect in an early warning scheme for a preliminary risk assessment. J Hazard Mater 2016; 317:503-542. [PMID: 27343869 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Concerns about the impacts on public health and on the natural environment have been raised regarding the full range of operational activities related to uranium mining and the rest of the nuclear fuel cycle (including nuclear accidents), nuclear tests and depleted uranium from military ammunitions. However, the environmental impacts of such activities, as well as their ecotoxicological/toxicological profile, are still poorly studied. Herein, it is discussed if organisms can be used as bioindicators of human health effects, posed by lifetime exposure to radioactively contaminated areas. To do so, information was gathered from several studies performed on vertebrates, invertebrate species and humans, living in these contaminated areas. The retrieved information was compared, to determine which are the most used bioindicators and biomarkers and also the similarities between human and non-human biota responses. The data evaluated are used to support the proposal for an early warning scheme, based on bioindicator species and on the most sensitive and commonly shared biomarkers, to perform a screening evaluation of radioactively contaminated sites. This scheme could be used to support decision-making for a deeper evaluation of risks to human health, making it possible to screen a large number of areas, without disturbing and alarming local populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Lourenço
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Sónia Mendo
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ruth Pereira
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto & CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research & GreenUP/CITAB-UP, Porto, Portugal
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Beaugelin-Seiller K. Effects of soil water content on the external exposure of fauna to radioactive isotopes. J Environ Radioact 2016; 151 Pt 1:204-208. [PMID: 26492396 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Within a recent model intercomparison about radiological risk assessment for contaminated wetlands, the influence of soil saturation conditions on external dose rates was evidenced. This issue joined concerns of assessors regarding the choice of the soil moisture value to input in radiological assessment tools such as the ERICA Tool. Does it really influence the assessment results and how? This question was investigated under IAEA's Modelling and Data for Radiological Impacts Assessments (MODARIA) programme via 42 scenarios for which the soil water content varied from 0 (dry soil) to 100% (saturated soil), in combination with other parameters that may influence the values of the external dose conversion coefficients (DCCs) calculated for terrestrial organisms exposed in soil. A set of α, β, and γ emitters was selected in order to cover the range of possible emission energies. The values of their external DCCs varied generally within a factor 1 to 1.5 with the soil water content, excepted for β emitters that appeared more sensitive (DCCs within a factor of about 3). This may be of importance for some specific cases or for upper tiers of radiological assessments, when refinement is required. But for the general purpose of screening assessment of radiological impact on fauna and flora, current approaches regarding the soil water content are relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Beaugelin-Seiller
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-ENV, SERIS, LM2E, Cadarache, France.
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Fuma S, Ihara S, Kawaguchi I, Ishikawa T, Watanabe Y, Kubota Y, Sato Y, Takahashi H, Aono T, Ishii N, Soeda H, Matsui K, Une Y, Minamiya Y, Yoshida S. Dose rate estimation of the Tohoku hynobiid salamander, Hynobius lichenatus, in Fukushima. J Environ Radioact 2015; 143:123-134. [PMID: 25765872 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2014] [Revised: 02/15/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The radiological risks to the Tohoku hynobiid salamanders (class Amphibia), Hynobius lichenatus due to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident were assessed in Fukushima Prefecture, including evacuation areas. Aquatic egg clutches (n = 1 for each sampling date and site; n = 4 in total), overwintering larvae (n = 1-5 for each sampling date and site; n = 17 in total), and terrestrial juveniles or adults (n = 1 or 3 for each sampling date and site; n = 12 in total) of H. lichenatus were collected from the end of April 2011 to April 2013. Environmental media such as litter (n = 1-5 for each sampling date and site; n = 30 in total), soil (n = 1-8 for each sampling date and site; n = 31 in total), water (n = 1 for each sampling date and site; n = 17 in total), and sediment (n = 1 for each sampling date and site; n = 17 in total) were also collected. Activity concentrations of (134)Cs + (137)Cs were 1.9-2800, 0.13-320, and 0.51-220 kBq (dry kg) (-1) in the litter, soil, and sediment samples, respectively, and were 0.31-220 and <0.29-40 kBq (wet kg)(-1) in the adult and larval salamanders, respectively. External and internal absorbed dose rates to H. lichenatus were calculated from these activity concentration data, using the ERICA Assessment Tool methodology. External dose rates were also measured in situ with glass dosimeters. There was agreement within a factor of 2 between the calculated and measured external dose rates. In the most severely contaminated habitat of this salamander, a northern part of Abukuma Mountains, the highest total dose rates were estimated to be 50 and 15 μGy h(-1) for the adults and overwintering larvae, respectively. Growth and survival of H. lichenatus was not affected at a dose rate of up to 490 μGy h(-1) in the previous laboratory chronic gamma-irradiation experiment, and thus growth and survival of this salamander would not be affected, even in the most severely contaminated habitat in Fukushima Prefecture. However, further studies of the adult salamanders may be required in order to examine whether the most severe radioactive contamination has any effects on sensitive endpoints, since the estimated highest dose rate to the adults exceeded some of the guidance dose rates proposed by various organisations and programmes for the protection of amphibians, which range from 4 to 400 μGy h(-1). Conversely, at one site in Nakadori, a moderately contaminated region in Fukushima Prefecture, the dose rate to the adult salamanders in spring of 2012 was estimated to be 0.2 μGy h(-1). Estimated dose rates to the overwintering larvae in spring of 2012 were 1 and 0.2 μGy h(-1) at one site in Nakadori, and in Aizu, a less contaminated region in Fukushima Prefecture, respectively. These results suggest that there is a low risk that H. lichenatus will be affected by radioactive contamination in these districts, though further studies on dose rate estimation are required for definitive risk characterisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoichi Fuma
- Project for Environmental Dynamics and Radiation Effects, Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
| | - Sadao Ihara
- Hokkaido University of Education Kushiro Campus, 1-15-55 Shiroyama, Kushiro, Hokkaido 085-8580, Japan
| | - Isao Kawaguchi
- Project for Environmental Dynamics and Radiation Effects, Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ishikawa
- Department of Technical Support and Development, Research, Development and Support Centre, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Yoshito Watanabe
- Project for Environmental Dynamics and Radiation Effects, Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Kubota
- Project for Environmental Dynamics and Radiation Effects, Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | | | - Hiroyuki Takahashi
- Tokyo Nuclear Services Co., Ltd., Sorimachi Building, 1-3-5 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0016, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Aono
- Project for Environmental Dynamics and Radiation Effects, Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Ishii
- Office of Biospheric Assessment for Waste Disposal, Research Centre for Radiation Protection, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Haruhi Soeda
- Project for Environmental Dynamics and Radiation Effects, Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Kumi Matsui
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology 1, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Yumi Une
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Yukio Minamiya
- Graduate School of Environment and Information Science, Yokohama National University, Tokiwadai 79-7, Hodogaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yoshida
- Project for Environmental Dynamics and Radiation Effects, Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
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