Environmental Radiation Effects: A Need to Question Old Paradigms
A historical perspective is given of the current paradigm that does not explicitly protect the environment from radiation, but instead, relies on the concept that if dose limits are set to protect humans then the environment is automatically protected as well. We summarize recent international questioning of this paradigm and briefly present three different frameworks for protecting biota that are being considered by the U.S. DOE, the Canadian government and the International Commission on Radiological Protection. We emphasize that an enhanced collaboration is required between what has traditionally been separated disciplines of radiation biology and radiation ecology if we are going to properly address the current environmental radiation problems. We then summarize results generated from an EMSP grant that allowed us to develop a Low Dose Irradiation Facility that specifically addresses effects of low-level, chronic irradiation on multiple levels of biological organization.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 826415
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 225th American Chemical Society Meeting, New Orleans, LA (US), 03/23/2003--03/27/2003; Other Information: PBD: 27 Mar 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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