Since the early times, radioprotection has been focused on the human being. Currently this approach has changed, being now also necessary to take care of the protection of the environment from unwanted effects of ionizing radiation. To this end, several institutions (UNSCEAR, ICRP, IAEA, DOE, ACRP) and consortia of institutions (FASSET, ERICA) have established procedures in order to protect the...

The net effects of soil biota on exotic invaders can be variable, in part, because net effects are produced by many interacting mutualists and antagonists. Here we compared mutualistic and antagonistic biota in soils collected in the native, expanded, and invasive range of the black locust tree, Robinia pseudoacacia. Robinia formed nodules in all soils with a broad phylogenetic range of N-fixin...

The main interest of this study is to assess whether uranium deposits located in the San Marcos outcrops (NW of Chihuahua City, Mexico) could be considered as a source of U-isotopes in its surrounding environment. Uranium activity concentrations were determined in biota, ground, and surface water by either alpha or liquid scintillation spectrometries. Major ions were analyzed by ICP-OES in surf...

Determination of Mercury in Biological Sample in Muar River Estuary, West Johor, Malaysia. This study was carried out at the Estuary of Muar River, west Johor, Malaysia. Different types of biota species namely Crassostrea irredalei, Perna viridis and Anadara granosa were collected all through the torrential rainy season in November 2005. These biota species were dried and then cooked in an acid...

We reviewed literature reporting both total and methylmercury from biota from Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Our review of existing data indicates that 1) mercury contamination is widespread throughout the Park's various aquatic ecosystems; 2) mercury pollution likely represents a moderate to high risk to biota inhabiting the Park; and 3) biota at all trophic levels possess elevated concentr...

World War II and the Cold War have left the Unites States, and other Nations, with massive cleanup and remediation tasks for radioactive and other legacy hazardous wastes. While some sites can be cleaned up to acceptable residential risk levels, others will continue to hold hazardous wastes, which must be contained and monitored to protect human health and the environment. While media (soil, se...

The Earth has an average surface temperature of about 15°C, which is, in terms of planetary conditions suitable for life, the equivalent of winning the cosmic lottery. Yet, without an atmosphere filled with biological waste gases capable of retaining heat (O2, N2O, CH4, CO2), the average temperature of the planet would be about −18°C (Smil 2002), making the present diversity and abundance of li...

Absract. The radiological impacts from radionuclide releases into Techa, and Yenisei Rivers in Russia are discussed. The dose assessments for human and natural biota are calculated using the methodology of multiple pathways of exposure. In the Mayak complex area the collective dose to the Techa River population during 19491956 was 6,200 man-Sv. The collective dose from radioactive discharges of...