Assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides around England and Wales : application of the G-BASE dataset

Jones, D.G.; Appleton, J.D.; Breward, N.; MacKenzie, A.C.; Scheib, C.; Beresford, N.A.; Barnett, C.L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9723-7247; Wood, M.D.; Copplestone, D.. 2008 Assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides around England and Wales : application of the G-BASE dataset. In: International Conference on Radioecology & Environmental Radioactivity, Bergen, Norway, 15-20 June 2008. Osteras, Norway, Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, 187-189.

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Abstract/Summary

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.

Item Type:	Publication - Conference Item (Paper)
Programmes:	CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Biogeochemistry BGS Programmes 2008 > Energy
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Shore
Additional Keywords:	radioecology
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Earth Sciences
Date made live:	18 Nov 2009 11:31 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/8565

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