A review of radionuclides in tide-washed pastures on the Irish Sea coast in England and Wales and their transfer to food products

Howard, Brenda J.; Livens, Francis R.; Walters, C. Ben. 1996 A review of radionuclides in tide-washed pastures on the Irish Sea coast in England and Wales and their transfer to food products. Environmental Pollution, 93 (1). 63-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/0269-7491(96)00013-9

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0269-7491(96)00013-9

Abstract/Summary

Close to the Sellafield Reprocessing Plant activity concentrations of many radionuclides including the long-lived 137Cs and actinides on tide-washedpastures bordering the Irish Sea are high compared with other terrestrial ecosystems in the United Kingdom. Despite the comparatively high deposition of radionuclides, contamination of agricultural products from tide-washedpastures is lower than would be predicted from studies in terrestrial ecosystems. This is because the main source of contamination in tide-washedpasture, radionuclides associated with sedimentary particles, has low availability for uptake by plant roots and in the gut of ruminants. Generalised Derived Limits (GDLs), published by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) are estimates of environmental radioactivity concentrations which would potentially be radiologically significant. These provide a benchmark against which environmental measurements can be assessed. In the past, several comparisons of radioactivity concentrations in tide-washedpastures with GDLs have been made, but only some of these comparisons are valid since current approaches used to assess doses are not always strictly appropriate to these ecosystems. Directly applicable GDLs are needed, and are currently being developed by the NRPB.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/0269-7491(96)00013-9
Programmes:	CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Other
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	_ Pre-2000 sections
ISSN:	0269-7491
Additional Keywords:	radioecology, tide-washed pastures, environmental radioactivity, Irish Sea Basin, transfer to food
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	11 Jun 2012 10:15 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/17813

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1016/0269-7491(96)00013-9

Programmes:

CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Other

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

_ Pre-2000 sections

ISSN:

0269-7491

Additional Keywords:

radioecology, tide-washed pastures, environmental radioactivity, Irish Sea Basin, transfer to food