Introduction to the ERICA Tool Radiation Protection of the
Environment (Environment Agency Course, July 2015)
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to provide and apply an integrated approach of addressing
scientific, managerial and societal issues surrounding
environmental effects of ionising contamination, at a community
level, with emphasis on biota and ecosystems The ERICA Tool (
http://www.erica-tool.eu/ ) is the freely available software which
implements the ERICA integrated approach. http://www.erica-tool.eu/
To download Tool: http://www.erica-tool.eu/ Well documented:
https://wiki.ceh.ac.uk/display/rpemain/ERICA+reports Considers
terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems
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Media concentration Release Dose rate Risk Dispersion model
Transfer model Dosimetry model (internal exposure) Wholebody
activity concentrations Dosimetry model (external exposure) Effects
understanding/ numerical benchmark
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Slide 6
Clear goals shape Swedish environmental policy . The overall
goal is to pass on to the next generation a society in which the
major environmental problems have been solved. .
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GOAL A condition or state desired to be brought about through a
course of action program. They are usually qualitative statements
that provide direction for plans and projects. Goals are not
specific numerical limitations, but conditions or states which can
be obtained through careful planning and implementation. The water
use goal for the fishery, established by the Hamilton Harbour
Stakeholder Group, is "that water quality and fish habitat should
be improved to permit an edible, naturally-reproducing fishery for
warm water species, and water and habitat conditions in Hamilton
Harbour should not limit natural reproduction and the edibility of
cold water species."
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.. a term which is inconsistently used! But obviously need to
know what you want to protect before conducting an
assessment/setting dose rate benchmarks - what is protecting the
environment? . There appears to be no internationally agreed
definition. How are protection goals being defined in radiological
protection/whats driving the need for assessment ?
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For instance (from EC PROTECT project): To protect the
sustainability of populations of the vast majority of all species
and thus ensure ecosystem function now and in the future. Special
attention should be given to keystone, sentinel, rare, protected or
culturally significant species
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Term stakeholders here means: any person or organisation that
could either be affected by, or interested in, the outcome of a
decision Consequently Will vary with the objective of the
assessment May include a wide range of people (experts, lay people,
elected people, volunteers, etc)
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Identifies the: source (of radionuclides) receiving media any
key receptor species assessment criteria to use uncertainties
(either knowledge or data) Considers the need for, and takes into
account, stakeholder involvement legislation and/or any regulatory
requirements
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Should be documented in a transparent & understandable way
Commonly, by conceptual model describing what is known about the
site Level of detail required will be influenced by a number of
factors
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Media concentration Release Dose rate Risk Dispersion model
Transfer model Dosimetry model (internal exposure) Wholebody
activity concentrations Dosimetry model (external exposure) Effects
understanding/ numerical benchmark Tier 1
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Designed to be simple and conservative User only needs to input
media activity concentrations Aims to identify sites of negligible
concern, removed from further assessment with a high degree of
confidence Envisaged that most sites will only need this level of
assessment [i.e. be screened out]
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Dose rate below which it is agreed (for the purposes of an
assessment) that there is no requirement for further evaluation In
ERICA Tier 1 input media (soil, water, sediment) activity
concentrations are compared to precalculated concentrations
estimated to give rise to the screening dose rate for the most
exposed organism These are termed Environmental Media Concentration
Limits (EMCL)
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Maximum measured or modelled media concentrations Terrestrial
ecosystem - soil (or air for a few radionuclides) Aquatic
ecosystems water and/or sediment If no measurements but site
release estimates then Tool has simple dispersion models
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Vast number of potential organisms to simplify a set of
organisms have been selected to represent different tropic levels,
organisms likely to be exposed, radiosensitive organisms, encompass
all European protected species, incorporate ICRP RAPs These are the
Reference Organisms 13 freshwater, 13 terrestrial,13 marine
organisms Terrestrial Amphibian Bird Arthropod - detritivorous
Flying insects Mollusc - gastropod Grasses & herbs Lichen &
bryophytes Mammal large Mammal small burrowing Reptile Shrub
Annelid Tree
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Sum of RQs adds together the RQs for the radionuclides (may be
for different organisms) If RQ>1 then screening dose rate
exceeded (under these conservative assumptions)
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Tier 2 create organism Common Lizard characteristics: Size (cm)
- 14 length x 1 width x 2 depth Weight - 10 g Occupancy - 50% in
soil/50% on soil
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Media concentration Release Dose rate Risk Dispersion model
Transfer model Dosimetry model (internal exposure) Wholebody
activity concentrations Dosimetry model (external exposure) Effects
understanding/ numerical benchmark
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Very simple: Default values derived from literature review
Assumptions (extrapolation) made where no data
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Assume lognormal for all Soil Am-241 30050 Bq/kg Cs-137
95005000 Bq/kg Deer Am-241 10.5 Bq/kg Cs-137 5000400 Bq/kg
