title: Health impacts of large releases of radionuclides. The radioecological significance of semi-natural ecosystems.
abstract: The transfer of radiocaesium to many food products either produced in or harvested from semi-natural ecosystems is high compared with intensive agricultural areas. Radiocaesium contamination levels in semi-natural foods are highly variable and difficult to predict. Spatial analysis may help to explain some of the variability and give improved estimates of the total output of radiocaesium in food products produced or harvested from semi-natural ecosystems. Consumption of foodstuffs from semi-natural ecosystems can contribute significantly to radiocaesium ingestion by humans. The long effective half-lives that occur for some semi-natural products lead to an increase with time in their importance compared with agricultural products. In determining the importance of semi-natural food products, the diet needs to be considered for both the average population and for special groups who utilize these environments to a greater extent than normal. Effective countermeasures have been developed to reduce radiocaesium levels in some semi-natural products.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria. UK.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000378:metabolism; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010945:Plants, Edible / Q000378:metabolism; D011210:Power Plants; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000032:analysis*; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D012426:Russia; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D014455:Ukraine; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011847:Radioactive Fallout