[en] It is important to be able readily to identify major routes of exposure, the most highly exposed individuals or populations and the geographical areas of most concern arising from radioactive contamination. The critical group approach is used to identify sub-sections of the population who are likely to be most exposed. In this paper, the concept of radioecological sensitivity is explored with particular reference to methods of identifying spatial variation in radiation exposure. Radioecological sensitivity analysis attempts to integrate current knowledge on pathways, spatially attribute the underlying processes determining transfer and thereby identify the most radioecologically sensitive areas leading to high radiation exposure. This identifies where high exposure may occur and why, not only for humans, but also for other biota. It can consider single food products or species, or a number of key parameters to identify areas where a number of key pathways coincide. An example of radioecological sensitivity analysis is given for the Arctic. Prior identification of such areas and exposed individuals should improve the focus of emergency preparedness and planning, and contribute to environmental impact assessment for future facilities. (author)

[en] Addresses of federal administrative authorities, state authorities and measuring stations of the German states for monitoring of environmental radioactivity are listed

[en] The purpose of the study was to analyse radioecological models for their suitability to support reliable assessment of the radiation exposure of the population resulting from radioactive contamination of stagnant and running bodies of water due to large-area, accidental deposition of radionuclides, the models to be used for: Quantifying the radionuclide input to the waters through direct deposition and runoff as a function of time and place; predicting the radioactivity curves in water and sediments as a function of time and place; assessing the time-related radioactive contamination of fish. (orig./CB)

[en] Mushroom can be used as a biological indicator in assessing radiological impact on the environment. Radiological effect would be reflected through morphological changes as well as those changes at molecular level. For this purpose, a preliminary work was conducted, which included DNA isolation, optimization of PCR parameters for Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) and primers screening on Pleurotus sajor caju mushroom strains from Nuclear Malaysia's Sterifeed Mushrooms Collection Centre. In this work, DNA isolation technique from cap and stalk of fruit body were optimized and quantified. It was found that stalk produced highest amount of genomic DNA at 304.01 ng/ μl and cap at 149.00 ng/ μl. A total of 100 ISSR primers were tested and 51 primers were successfully amplified. These primers will be used further for dose response evaluation and molecular profiling in mushroom species. (author)

[en] The introduction of A new radiation quantity named collective time is proposed to facilitate and accelerate calculation of collective dose. (author)

[en] Safety of nuclear energy is one of the major tasks in the debate nowadays on future energy resources in the context of climate change and resource vulnerability. There are needed robust dosimetric models for humans as well as reliable predictions of radionuclide dynamics in farm animals and crops and wild species. ¹⁴C and ³H need special consideration in the context of waste safety, heavy water reactors and the proposed fusion reactor, as well as fuel reprocessing plants. ¹⁴C is unusual, in that it is isotope of macro-elements which form the basis of animal tissues and feed. There are few published values describing the transfer of ¹⁴C from feed to animal derived food products under steady state conditions. We recommend that the concentration ratio between feed and animal product activity concentrations can be used as it is less variable than the transfer coefficient. As a result of the close biological and chemical link between OBT and organic carbon, the biological half-times of ¹⁴C and ³H in organic forms are likely to be the same and models for ³H and ¹⁴C share common parameters. We have recently shown that the currently used single organic compartment models, as used in the ICRP approach, are not appropriate to describe the dynamics of ¹⁴C and ³H in mammals as they underestimate long term retention considerably. After an overview of present models in literature, we concentrate on the new developed metabolic model for mammals and test examples (no calibration) are presented for rat, sheep and cow milk. The dosimetric implication of the model will be investigated for further model extension. (author)

[en] Efficient scientific development may promote the solution of all the environmental problems. The way the question is put is new, for science is finally considered to be the source of all environmental disasters and to be blamed for that. Search for the means to solve scientifically induced crisis situation seems to be very interesting. (author)

No abstract available

[en] Kidney samples of 234 roe deer and 45 wild boars were collected in Lower Austria and Vienna, and were analyzed for lead and cadmium contents. Samples of the organs were examined histologically, considering 12 different morphological parameters. Influences of age, sex and origin of the animals on heavy metal burdens were assessed, and the possible correlation between histopathological changes and age, sex, origin and heavy metal concentrations in the kidneys was tested. Lead concentrations were low with medians (mg/kg wet tissue) being 0,062 in roe deer and 0,044 in wild boars. Neither age nor sex nor origin influenced the lead contents of the kidneys. Cadmium burden was fairly high, both in roe deer (median: 0,954) and wild boars (median: 3,009). It increased with age in both species, while female roe deer showed higher contents as well. No influence of the animals' origin was found. The correlation between histopathological changes and age, sex, origin and heavy metal concentrations in the kidneys was tested in 208 roe deer and 44 wild boars which showed no signs of kidney related diseases. In roe deer, the frequency of vacuolic degeneration, pycnotic nuclei, caryolysis and necrosis was related with increased cadmium concentrations. Increasing age correlated with lymphohistiocytic infiltration, interstitial fibrosis and swelling of glomeruli. Pigment deposits and thickening of the Bowman's capsule could be related to both cadmium and age. Furthermore, roe deer from Vienna more frequently showed alterations as observed in animals from Lower Austria. No correlation existed between morphological changes and lead concentrations or sex. In wild boars, there was no obvious relationship between all parameters tested and the frequency of histopathologic changes, except changes in pigmentation. Possible nephrotoxic agents in free ranging animals and the demonstrated influence of cadmium on severe kidney damage are discussed. (author)

[en] It was estimated that oil sands processing plants at Syncrude and Suncor in northeastern Alberta would produce 1.3 billion m³ of fine tails over the course of project lifetimes. Research has shown that fine tails and associated water were acutely toxic to aquatic organisms. Two approaches to solving the fine tails problem were proposed. The wet landscape option involved establishing a viable body of water by capping fine tails with a layer of water. The dry landscape option involved dewatering or disposing of the fine tails, resulting in a dry landscape. Government decision-making regarding which reclamation approach to use was made more complex by scientific, technical, economic, social, and political issues. Risk assessment proved to be a useful tool in assisting complex government decision-making. Research showed that both wet and dry landscape approaches are possible options. It was concluded that a combination of wet and dry methods should be used in reclamation. Further risk assessment for the dry landscape option was recommended since previous work focused more on the wet landscape option