Radioecological Observatories - Breeding Grounds for Innovative Research

Within the EC-funded (FP7) Network of Excellence STAR (Strategy for Allied Radioecology, www.star-radioecology.org) the concept of Radioecological Observatories is currently being implemented on a European level for the first time. Radioecological Observatories are radioactively (and chemically) contaminated field sites that will provide a focus for joint long-term radioecological research. The benefit of this innovative approach is to create synergistic research collaborations by sharing expertise, ideas, data and resources. Research at the Radioecological Observatories will primarily focus on radioecological challenges outlined in the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA). Mechanisms to use these sites will be established under the EC-funded project COMET (Coordination and Implementation of a Pan-European Instrument for Radioecology, www.comet-radioecology.org). The European Radioecological Observatory sites were selected using a structured, progressive approach that was transparent, consistent and objective. A first screening of potential candidate sites was conducted based on the following exclusion criteria: long-term perspective for shared field work and suitability for addressing the radioecological challenges of the SRA. The proposed sites included former uranium mining and milling sites in France and Germany, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) in Ukraine/Belarus and the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) in Poland. All candidate sites were prioritized based on evaluation criteria which comprised scientific issues, available infrastructure, administrative/legal constraints and financial considerations. Multi-criteria decision analysis, group discussions and recommendations provided by external experts were combined to obtain a preference order among the suggested sites. Using this approach, the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) in Poland and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) were selected as Radioecological Observatories. The two sites have similar multi-attribute values and complement each other well. The USCB is a post-industrial landscape that has been heavily contaminated by coal mining. Radium isotopes and heavy metals originating from mine waters pumped to the surface lead to a mixed contaminant situation. The CEZ is one of the most radioactively contaminated sites in the world. The most important radionuclides include long-lived Cs-137, Sr-90, plutonium isotopes, Am-241 and uranium isotopes. A key characteristic of the CEZ is the extremely heterogeneous contamination pattern that offers contamination gradients with high maximum dose rates. Appreciable amounts of non-radioactive pollutants, however, are absent. The complementary characteristics of both Observatory sites represent an excellent starting point to investigate a broad range of radioecological challenges prioritized in the SRA. The Radioecological Observatories will hopefully act as a focal point for scientists from other research groups and disciplines, stimulating them to join the EC Network. (authors)