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Radionuclides in the Ecosystem
RadTown USA Topics
Natural Radiation:This page provides an overview of radionuclides in the ecosystem.
On this page:
Overview
An ecosystem is defined as a place having unique physical features, encompassing air, water, and land, and habitats that support plant and animal life. Radioactive elements, called radionuclides, are part of our ecosystem because they are a part of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.
Ecosystem science focuses on the whole—the interaction among the water, air, land, and plants, animals and humans. Ecosystem science tells a story about elements in nature and their journey through the different natural systems that exist on Earth. Here is the general story of radionuclides in our ecosystem:
A tree’s roots digs down into a crack in the earth, prying the rock apart and turning the rock into soil. The rock contained radionuclides that, through this process, have now been brought to the surface.
Whether the radionuclides are natural or man-made, they move through the earth and can become part of the food chain. For example:
- Some radionuclides attach to soil particles and migrate immediately into groundwater and streams and become a part of Earth’s water cycle. These can get deposited right back into the soil through evaporation and then rain.
- Other radionuclides attach to soil particulates and end up in the air traveling with the atmospheric cycle.
- Some radionuclides remain a part of the soil and are taken up by plants.
Animals consume these plants, drink the water and breathe the air. The radionuclides are now in the animals.
Humans eat the plants and the animals that ate the plants, drink the water and breathe the air. The radionuclides also are in humans.
The remains of plants and animals are returned to the earth and, over time, are crushed and pressured back into rock and the cycle begins again.
Radiological incidents, such as the 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chernobyl, add large amounts of man-made radiation to an ecosystem. Recent studies on the ecology of the Chernobyl region have shown that, in the twenty years since the accident, the region’s ecosystem is rebounding and beginning to function normally. This means that ecosystems may be able to rid themselves of excess radiation.
Who is protecting you
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA’s RadNet monitoring system is a national network of monitoring stations that regularly collect air, precipitation, drinking water, and milk samples for analysis of radioactivity.
EPA also develops standards for disposal of nuclear waste and in some cases, oversees the disposal of radioactive material.
EPA’s Protective Action Guides protect the public in radiological emergencies and including actions to prevent exposure from contaminated soil and food.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA monitors efforts to store radioactive waste that might impact the nation’s food chain. USDA works with the U.S. Geological Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure that radioactive materials are disposed in places that prevent the radioactive material from ever entering the food chain.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA monitors naturally-occuring and man-made radionuclides in food as part of its Total Diet Studies.
FDA establishes guidelines for preventing and addressing potentially contaminated crops and livestock during a radiological emergency.
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE’s Department of Environmental Management issues regulations related to spills, releases, and cleanup of radiation in the soil on and around DOE facilities. DOE requires its facilities to limit how much radiation may be released, and it ensures that all facility operators comply with these standards.
The States
The States have a variety of programs relating to the protection of soil, crops and livestock. States apply EPA’s Protective Action Guides in the event of a radiological emergency. Some states have created more stringent standards for disposal of radioactive material than the federal limits established by EPA.
What you can do to protect yourself
In most cases, the radionuclides are natural and pose little threat to your health.
In a radiological emergency where food contamination may be an issue, listen for advisories from your Federal, state or local public health officials.
Common food processing safety actions can be taken to reduce the amount of radioactive contamination in or on food such as washing, brushing or peeling the surface of the fruits or vegetables.
Resources
| Guidance on the Effects
of RCRA LDR Regulations on Mixed-Waste Management 30 November 2004 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency This site describes how implementation of land disposal restrictions, which forbid (in most cases) the land disposal of untreated wastes, have affected the management of mixed-waste. |
Radiation in Nature
 2005 - The Health Physics Society, University of Michigan This page provides an overview of sources of background radiation. Eisenbud, Meril and Tom Gesell. "Environmental Radioactivity from Natural, Industrial and Military Sources" Academic Press, Inc. 4th Edition This book describes the behavior of radioactive substances when they enter the environment. |
| The ecological effects of the Chernobyl disaster
9 August 2005 - Ecological Society of America, Medical News Today This page provides information on a session at the Ecological Society of America’s August 2005 meeting that explored how the environment has responded to the Chernobyl accident. |
| Directory of Agreement State and Non-Agreement State
Directors and State Liaison Officers 20 June 2005 - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission This page provides listings of state and tribal radiation protection directors. |
| State
and Tribal Programs Site – State Regulations and Legislation 24 June 2005 - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission This site provides links to state and tribal radiation regulations and legislation. |
| State Environmental Protection Division Listing
23 June 2005 - Clay.net Environmental Professional. This site provides links to state environmental agencies and regulations. |