Exposure assessment to radionuclides transfer in food chain

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2007

Authors

Maria de Lurdes Dinis (Author) FEUP; António Fiúza (Author) FEUP

Conference proceedings International

Title: Multiple Stressors: A Challenge for the Future

Pages: 309-323

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Multipollution Exposure and Risk Assessment

Minsk, BYELARUS, OCT 01-05, 2006

Indexing

ISI Proceedings

ISI Web of Knowledge - 4 Citations

Scopus - 5 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

CORDIS: Physical sciences > Mathematics ; Physical sciences > Computer science > Modelling tools ; Natural sciences > Environmental science > Ecology > Radioecology ; Natural sciences > Environmental science > Ecology > Environmental risks ; Natural sciences > Environmental science

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-DZD

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-6335-0_21

Abstract (EN): Generally sites with radioactive contamination are also simultaneously polluted with many other different toxics, especially heavy metals. Besides the radioactivity, these wastes may also hold different amounts of chemicals, toxic pollutants and precipitates. The radionuclides released into the environment can give rise to human exposure by the transport through the atmosphere, aquatic systems or through soil sub-compartments. The exposure may result from direct inhalation of contaminated air or ingestion of contaminated water, or from a less direct pathway, the ingestion of contaminated food products. Contamination of the trophic chain by radionuclides released into the environment will be a component of human exposure to ionizing radiations by transferring the radionuclides into animal products that are components of the human diet. This can occur by first ingestion of contaminated pasture by animals and then by ingestion of animal products contaminated. The relevant incorporation of the radionuclides into cow's milk is usually due to the ingestion of contaminated pasture. This transfer process is often called the pasture-cow-milk exposure route. A compartment dynamic model is presented to describe mathematically the radium behaviour in the pasture-cow-milk exposure route and predict the activity concentration in each compartment. The dynamic model is defined by a system of linear differential equations with constant coefficients based in a mass balance concept. For each compartment a transient mass balance equation defines the relations between the inner transformations and the input and output fluxes. The concentration within each compartment is then transcribed to doses values based on a simplified exposure pathway and a pre-defined critical group.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

Notes: NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Multipollution Exposure and Risk Assessment: A Challenge for the Future. Minsk, Belarus. 1-5 October 2006

No. of pages: 15