Best practices for predictions of radionuclide activity concentrations and total absorbed dose rates to freshwater organisms exposed to uranium mining/milling

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dc.contributor.authorGoulet, Ren_AU
dc.contributor.authorNewsome, Len_AU
dc.contributor.authorVandenhove, Hen_AU
dc.contributor.authorKeum, DKen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHoryna, Jen_AU
dc.contributor.authorKamboj, Sen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBrown, JEen_AU
dc.contributor.authorJohansen, MPen_AU
dc.contributor.authorTwining, JRen_AU
dc.contributor.authorWood, MDen_AU
dc.contributor.authorČerne, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorBeaugelin-Seiller, Ken_AU
dc.contributor.authorBeresford, NAen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-23T01:01:40Zen_AU
dc.date.available2023-03-23T01:01:40Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2022-02en_AU
dc.date.statistics2023-03-22en_AU
dc.description.abstractPredictions of radionuclide dose rates to freshwater organisms can be used to evaluate the radiological environmental impacts of releases from uranium mining and milling projects. These predictions help inform decisions on the implementation of mitigation measures. The objective of this study was to identify how dose rate modelling could be improved to reduce uncertainty in predictions to non-human biota. For this purpose, we modelled the activity concentrations of 210Pb, 210Po, 226Ra, 230Th, and 238U downstream of uranium mines and mills in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, together with associated weighted absorbed dose rates for a freshwater food chain using measured activity concentrations in water and sediments. Differences in predictions of radionuclide activity concentrations occurred mainly from the different default partition coefficient and concentration ratio values from one model to another and including all or only some 238U decay daughters in the dose rate assessments. Consequently, we recommend a standardized best-practice approach to calculate weighted absorbed dose rates to freshwater biota whether a facility is at the planning, operating or decommissioned stage. At the initial planning stage, the best-practice approach recommend using conservative site-specific baseline activity concentrations in water, sediments and organisms and predict conservative incremental activity concentrations in these media by selecting concentration ratios based on species similarity and similar water quality conditions to reduce the uncertainty in dose rate calculations. At the operating and decommissioned stages, the best-practice approach recommends relying on measured activity concentrations in water, sediment, fish tissue and whole-body of small organisms to further reduce uncertainty in dose rate estimates. This approach would allow for more realistic but still conservative dose assessments when evaluating impacts from uranium mining projects and making decision on adequate controls of releases. © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.en_AU
dc.identifier.articlenumber106826en_AU
dc.identifier.citationGoulet, R. R., Newsome, L., Vandenhove, H., Keum, D.-K., Horyna, J., Kamboj, S., Brown, J., Johansen, M. P., Twining, J., Wood, M. D., Černe, M., Beaugelin-Seiller, K., & Beresford, N. A. (2022). Best practices for predictions of radionuclide activity concentrations and total absorbed dose rates to freshwater organisms exposed to uranium mining/milling. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 244-245, 106826. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106826en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0265-931Xen_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleJournal of Environmental Radioactivityen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination106826en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106826en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/14712en_AU
dc.identifier.volume244-245en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevieren_AU
dc.subjectUraniumen_AU
dc.subjectMiningen_AU
dc.subjectFresh wateren_AU
dc.subjectChainsen_AU
dc.subjectWater qualityen_AU
dc.subjectRadioactivityen_AU
dc.subjectBenthosen_AU
dc.subjectConcentration ratioen_AU
dc.titleBest practices for predictions of radionuclide activity concentrations and total absorbed dose rates to freshwater organisms exposed to uranium mining/millingen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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