Effects of ionising radiations on the environment

Chapter 12. The impact of ionising radiation on the environment has become an area of increasing interest and importance in the last few decades. Various approaches are now available to assess risks to wildlife from ionising radiation. These approaches address radionuclide transport through the environment and the assessment of risks from the dose rates that arise. In assessing those risks, it is necessary to recognise the wide variations in radiosensitivity between different types of organisms. In this context, much can be learned from radiologically contaminated areas, e.g. Chornobyl, Mayak and Fukushima. Experimental studies are complementary to this and permit detailed evaluation of factors such as developmental stage, adaptation and epigenetic regulation of responses. The chapter addresses all these aspects and ends with a short discussion of the need to consider impacts on whole ecosystems and not to address only impacts at the individual or population level.