Evaluation of uncertainties in environmental impact assessment of naturally occurring radiation exposure situations on e
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Evaluation of uncertainties in environmental impact assessment of naturally occurring radiation exposure situations on example of undisturbed and legacy NORM sites in the Fen Complex, Norway Jelena Mrdakovic Popic
&
Lindis Skipperud
Received: 20 May 2020 / Accepted: 10 November 2020 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract The risk from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) has been extensively assessed, and this has led to the integration of specific NORM radiation protection requirements within the latest EU Directive 2013/59. Nevertheless, it has been internationally recognised that remaining NORM knowledge gaps and uncertainties now present similarly significant issues in addressing recent regulatory requirements. The multitiered nature of environmental impact assessment (EIA) implies per se possibility for uncertainties, but when EIA at radiation exposure sites includes consideration of sites with multiple radiation and contamination sources, different ecosystem transport pathways, effects and risks by applying different parameters and models, level of overall uncertainty increases. The results of EIA study in the Fen area in Norway, comprised of undisturbed and legacy NORM sites, have been evaluated in this analysis, in order to identify all existing input uncertainties and how they may impact the final conclusions, and thus, influence any subsequent decision-making. The main uncertainties have been identified in the measurement and exposure analysis tier, and were related to the heterogeneous distribution of radionuclides, radionuclide speciation, as well as to generic variability issues in the concepts
J. M. Popic (*) Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), Østerås, Norway e-mail: [email protected] L. Skipperud Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
used for mobility and biota uptake analysis (such as distribution coefficient, transfer factors and concentration ratios) as well as radioecological modelling. The uncertainties in the input values to the calculation of the dose arising from radon exposure in the Fen area led to an overall elevated uncertainty of the magnitude of the radiation exposure dose of humans. It has been concluded that an integrated, ecosystem-based approach with consideration of complexity of prevailing environmental conditions and interconnections must be applied to fully understand possible radiation effects and risks. Keywords Environmental impact assessment . Naturally occurring radioactive material . Uranium . Thorium . Uncertainties
Introduction Historically, both regulatory and scientific attention concerning ionising radiation have been concerned with human health risks, while ecological effects in ecosystems and possible risks to biota have been mainly neglected (Bréchignac 2011). However, in recent decades, there has been a substantial change in emphasis from anthropocentrism towards ecocentrism (by subsuming anthropocentrism in ecocentrism) due to new drivers, such as:
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