A perspective on radioecological research

Much current radioecological research has been directed toward enhancing our knowledge of radionuclide transport in major environments in order to derive transfer coefficients for radiological dose assessment codes. Most current radioecological research is centred on operating nuclear installations which provide major opportunities for developing new insights on nuclide behaviour and for training students. This type of effort should continue to be encouraged in the future because of the distinct advantages offered by such locations. Future radioecological research will be needed for predicting exposures resulting from the transport of radionuclides in agricultural food chains. Model validation using field studies and experiments is another pressing area of radioecology. There is a continuing need for data on the long-term impact of chronic low level ionizing radiation on species and populations in natural systems in relation to such problems as radioactive waste disposal. Lastly, there is an opportunity for the continuing use of radioisotopes as tools for research in basic ecology and for attacking non-radioactive pollution problems. (author)