| 1. |
- Garnier-Laplace, Jacqueline, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing ecological effects of radionuclides : data gaps and extrapolation issues
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Radiological Protection. - 0952-4746 .- 1361-6498. ; 24:4A, s. A139-A155
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By inspection of the FASSET database on radiation effects on non-human biota, one of the major difficulties in the implementation of ecological risk assessments for radioactive pollutants is found to be the lack of data for chronic low-level exposure. A critical review is provided of a number of extrapolation issues that arise in undertaking an ecological risk assessment: acute versus chronic exposure regime; radiation quality including relative biological effectiveness and radiation weighting factors; biological effects from an individual to a population level, including radiosensitivity and lifestyle variations throughout the life cycle; single radionuclide versus multi-contaminants. The specificities of the environmental situations of interest (mainly chronic low-level exposure regimes) emphasise the importance of reproductive parameters governing the demography of the population within a given ecosystem and, as a consequence, the structure and functioning of that ecosystem. As an operational conclusion to keep in mind for any site-specific risk assessment, the present state-of-the-art on extrapolation issues allows us to grade the magnitude of the uncertainties as follows: one species to another > acute to chronic = external to internal = mixture of stressors > individual to population > ecosystem structure to function.
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| 2. |
- Jones, Celia, et al.
(författare)
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Overview of programmes for the assessment of risks to the environment from ionising radiation and hazardous chemicals
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Radiological Protection. - 0952-4746 .- 1361-6498. ; 24:4A, s. A157-A177
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Within the FASSET project, a review of existing programmes for the assessment of environmental risks from radioactive or hazardous substances was carried out in order to identify appropriate aspects that could be incorporated into the FASSET framework. The review revealed a number of different approaches, arising from the need to balance the information value of the assessment against the availability of data and the need to keep the assessment manageable. Most of the existing assessment programmes fit into a three-phase approach to environmental risk assessment: problem formulation, assessment and risk characterisation. However, the emphasis on particular assessment phases varies between programmes. The main differences between the different programmes are: the degree of specificity to a particular site, the level of detail of the assessment, the point at which a comparison is made between a criterion intended to represent 'what is acceptable' and a measured or predicted quantity, the choice of end-point for the assessment and the relationship between measurement end-points and assessment end-points. The existing assessment programmes are based on a similar general structure, which is suitable for use as a basis for the FASSET framework. However, certain aspects of the assessment of exposure and effects of ionising contaminants, e.g. dosimetry, require further development before incorporation into such a framework.
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| 3. |
- Wikman, Per
(författare)
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Trivial risks and the new radiation protection system
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Radiological Protection. - : IOP Publishing. - 0952-4746 .- 1361-6498. ; 24:1, s. 3-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The International Commission on Radiological Protection proposes that doses below a certain level should be excluded from the system of protection, without regard to the number of people exposed. As the Commission assumes that there is a risk of harm even from very low doses, the proposal also disregards these very low risks. The arguments for this proposal are examined here. It is argued that the fact that risks are small compared to natural sources cannot be used as justification for accepting them. The principle 'if the risk of harm to the health of the most exposed individual is trivial, then the total risk is trivial-irrespective of how many people are exposed' is analysed. It is found to equivocate on the meaning of the word trivial and to ignore the total risk. It is also argued that the new proposal is not justified by a change from a utilitarian ethic to an ethic based on individual rights. Finally, it is suggested that small doses should only be disregarded if the expected value of harm is small, and the exclusion level should thus depend on the number of people exposed.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Wikman, Per
(författare)
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On effects of low doses : Reply
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Radiological Protection. - 0952-4746 .- 1361-6498. ; 24:4, s. 428-429
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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