International studies on the radioecology of the Danube River

The Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) of the IAEA on Radioecology Problems of the Danube River has facilitated establishment of firm contacts and collaboration among national laboratories of the Danubian countries involved in investigations into the radioactive pollution of this river of great international importance. As a result of these co-ordinated investigations, small activity concentrations of natural and artificial radionuclides have been detected in Danube water, sediment and fish, of which a negligible portion may stem from nuclear facilities sited in the Danube catchment area. The annual dose of radiation received by the population of each country due to the utilization of the Danube river constitutes about 1% of the dose received from all natural environmental sources of radiation. The major portion of dose received from the use of the Danube is primarily attributable to the natural radionuclides in the Danube water