Issue |
Radioprotection
Volume 44, Number 5, 2009
ECORAD 2008 - Radioecology and Environmental Radioactivity
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 629 - 634 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/radiopro/20095116 | |
Published online | 06 June 2009 |
Assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides around England and Wales: Application of the G-BASE dataset to estimate doses to non-human species
1
British Geological Survey (BGS), Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
2
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, CEH-Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
3
Radioecology Unit, SWIMMER, University of Liverpool, The Nicholson Building, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
4
Environment Agency, PO Box 12, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Warrington WA4 1HG, UK
An assessment of the natural radiation dose to wildlife in England and Wales was made to determine the contribution it may make to the total radiation dose estimated during environmental impact assessments. Significant use was made of systematic datasets for environmental media (stream sediments, stream waters and soils), in particular those produced by the Geochemical Baseline Survey of the Environment (G-BASE) project. This provided extensive, although variable, coverage for different elements and sample types after normalisation of data to account for changes in sampling and analysis over time. Almost complete coverage for K in stream sediments was achieved by merging G-BASE and Wolfson Atlas data. This required normalisation of the Wolfson data to the G-BASE results. Coverage was improved greatly for U and Th in sediments, and K, U and Th in soils, by using the strong relationship between soils and sediments and geology (both solid and superficial) to extrapolate the data. The total U, Th and K data were used to derive activity concentrations of 238U and 232Th series radionuclides and 40K. External dose rates to wildlife were then estimated from derived media concentrations; internal dose rates were estimated from measured activities in biota or activities predicted using recommended concentration ratios.
© EDP Sciences, 2009
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.