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7 - Managing Environmental Radiation Exposures: Experiences and Challenges

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2021

R. J. Pentreath
R. J. Pentreath
Affiliation:
University of Reading
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Summary

A feature often overlooked in ecological studies is that ionising radiation has always existed on Earth, and now it additionally exists as a result of human activities. Much, but not all, of this radiation arises from the presence of radionuclides in the environment and we now have a reasonable understanding of their presence and behaviour in this context, including their accumulation by humans and by quite a variety of other animals and plants as well. We have also learned that exposures to ionising radiation, from various sources and at sufficient doses, can cause harm, or increase the risk of harm, to all living things.

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Radioecology
Sources and Consequences of Ionising Radiation in the Environment
 , pp. 285 - 337
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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