Scientific documentation

Radionuclides and the Environment Sheets

Sheet context and status

This series of sheets, entitled “Radionuclides and the Environment” (see below), summarises a state of the art relating to the radioecological behaviour in the environment of the principal radionuclides. Drafted by IRSN, they are voluntarily simplified to make knowledge easily accessible and understandable for everybody. They do not, therefore, always expand on the finer details appearing in the bibliography. In the space of a few pages, they describe the essential characteristics governing the behaviour of the different radionuclides studied, with the emphasis placed on transfer to humans via the food chain. Ecotoxicity data relative to chemical elements is briefly mentioned when available.

The information contained in these sheets, both qualitative and quantitative, is taken from the references indicated. These sheets indicate the default values (as a guide only) for the principal radioecological parameters to give an order of magnitude. Under no circumstances may these values be considered as IRSN recommendations. The choice and use of these values is the sole responsibility of the reader who is then bound to justify the purpose of their use. However, the values for which a scientific consensus exists are been privileged as far as possible.

> see definitions of characteristics given in the sheets and the work methods adopted to compile them (pdf, in French, 112 K)