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Application of an environmental impact assessment methodology for areas exhibiting enhanced levels of NORM in Norway and Poland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2012

A. Hosseini
Affiliation:
Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, P.O. Box 55, N-1332 Østeras, Norway
J.E. Brown
Affiliation:
Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, P.O. Box 55, N-1332 Østeras, Norway
M. Szymańska
Affiliation:
Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection, 03-194 Warszawa, Konwaliowa St. 7, Poland
K. Ciupek
Affiliation:
Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection, 03-194 Warszawa, Konwaliowa St. 7, Poland
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Abstract

During the last decade or so, the topic of environmental protection from ionising radiation has become a major issue within the field of radiological protection. The change of focus from a purely anthropocentric approach has led to the development and availability of bespoke methodologies for the assessment of impacts on wildlife from radioactive contaminants. The application of such assessment methodologies to actual situations, however, remains relatively limited. This paper describes the implementation of the ERICA Integrated Approach and associated tools to areas exhibiting elevated levels of NORM at Søve in Norway and Wislinka and Kaniow in Poland. In all cases, lichen and bryophytes were found to be the most exposed organisms and tree and large mammals the least exposed. With the exception of Kaniow, Ra-226 is the radionuclide that dominates in terms of its contribution to the total dose rates for all animal organism groups. For plants, Th-228 and Po-210 are dominant contributors. While Th-228 is the primary contributor to external dose rates for all species at Søve and Wislinka, Ra-226 is the primary contributor to internal dose rates in most cases for all sites.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2011

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