Radioactivity in the Terrestrial Environment (eBook)

Front cover 1
Radioactivity in the Terrestrial Environment 4
Copyright page 5
Contents 6
Chapter 1. Introduction 8
1. Radionuclides in the environment 8
2. Sources and attributes of radionuclides 12
3. The aims and methods of radioecology 19
4. Key topics in terrestrial radioecology 21
References 22
Chapter 2. Behaviour of radionuclides in soil/crop systems following contamination 26
1. Introduction 26
2.Physical and chemical behaviour of relevant radionuclides in arable soils 27
3. Physiological aspects of crop root-uptake and translocation of radionuclides in arable systems 31
4. Quantification of soil-plant transfer 33
5. Overall mass/activity balances of radionuclides in arable systems 39
6. Possible countermeasures 41
7. Conclusions 45
Acknowledgements 45
References 46
Chapter 3. Phytoremediation of soils contaminated with radionuclides 50
1. Phytoremediation-a 21st century challenge for radioecology 50
2. A phytoremediation perspective on the biogeochemistry of radionuclides 52
3. Phytoremediation of soil contaminated with radionuclides 56
4. Assessing the feasibility of phytoremediation of radionuclides using a simple model 60
5. The future of phytoremediation for radionuclides 65
6. Conclusions and prospects 70
References 72
Chapter 4. Transfer of radionuclides in animal production systems 78
1. Introduction 78
2. Animal production systems 79
3. Transfer of radionuclides to animals 84
4. Quantification of the transfer of radionuclides in animal products 88
5. Countermeasures 95
6. Concluding remarks 100
References 100
Chapter 5. Radionuclides in grassland, heath, mire and mountain ecosystems 104
1. Introduction 104
2. Global distribution of fallout and affected ecosystems 105
3. The material cycles in ecosystems 106
4. The importance of soil properties for bioavailability 108
5. Time-dependent changes in bioavailability 110
6. Partitioning and fluxes of radionuclides 112
7. Seasonality 118
8. Plant species differences 120
9. The influence of management 123
10. Conclusions 125
List of plant species mentioned 126
References 127
Chapter 6. Radionuclides in forest ecosystems 134
1. Forests as receptors of atmospheric pollutants 134
2. Relevant time scales 135
3. Pathways and processes within forests 136
4. Radionuclides in forests after Chernobyl 139
5. Strontium in forests 152
6. Plutonium in forests 152
7. Technetium in forests 154
8. Iodine and chlorine in forests 154
9. Radiation exposures associated with forest products 156
10. Conclusions 159
References 159
Chapter 7. Radioecology of terrestrial arctic ecosystems 164
1. Introduction 164
2. The arctic terrestrial environment 165
3. Radionuclides in arctic terrestrial ecosystems 169
4. Arctic specific processes 178
5. Conclusions 180
References 180
Chapter 8. The distribution and transport of radionuclides in dryland ecosystems 184
1. Introduction 184
2. Characteristics of dryland ecosystems 184
3. Sources of radionuclides in dryland environments 186
4. Radioecology in dryland ecosystems 188
5. Radionuclide distribution in arid ecosystems 188
6. Conclusions 195
References 195
Chapter 9. Radionuclides in tropical and subtropical ecosystems 200
1. Introduction 200
2. Input of fallout radionuclides in tropical areas and critical foods for human intake of radionuclides 201
3. Soil-to-crop transfers of radionuclides in (sub-)tropical areas 203
4. Paddy field ecosystems 206
5. Radioecology of the Marshall Islands 212
6. Conclusions 214
Acknowledgements 214
References 215
Chapter 10. Naturally occurring radionuclides from industrial sources: characteristics and fate in the environment 218
1. Introduction 218
2. Geochemical behavior of naturally occurring radionuclides in the lithosphere 219
3. Form, fate and transport of radionuclides in the biosphere 220
4. Bioavailability 222
5. Oil and natural gas production and processing 223
6. Phosphate fertilizer and elemental phosphorus production 227
7. Water and wastewater treatment residuals 230
8. Coal mining and combustion 232
9. Mineral sands 234
10. Site reclamation 235
11. Assessing radionuclide partitioning in TENORM disposal environments 236
References 239
Chapter 11. Protection of the environment from exposure to ionising radiation 246
1. Introduction 246
2. The current conceptual basis for protection of the environment from ionising radiation 247
3. State of the art at the end of the 20th century 248
4. Developments at the national level 249
5. Developments at the international level 254
6. Example of the Environment Agency assessment approach in England and Wales 260
7. The Tees estuary assessment-a case study 266
8. Conclusions-significance for regulators and operators 268
Acknowledgements 269
References 269
Chapter 12. Concluding remarks 272
References 273
Author Index 276
Keyword Index 302