A model for evaluating radiological impacts on organisms other than man foruse in post-closure assessments of geological repositories for radioactivewastes

Abstract

Bioaccumulation and dosimetric models have been developed that allow thecomputation of dose rates to a wide variety of plants and animals in the context ofthe deep geological disposal of solid radioactive wastes. These dose rates can becompared with the threshold dose rates at which significant deleterious effectshave been observed in field and laboratory observations. This provides a generalindication of whether effects on ecosystems could be observable, but does notquantify the level of those effects. To address this latter issue, two indicatororganisms were identified and exposure–response relationships were developed forendpoints of potential interest (mortality in conifers and the induction of skeletalmalformations in rodents irradiated in utero). The bioaccumulation, dosimetryand exposure–response models were implemented and used to evaluate thepotential significance of radionuclide releases from a proposed deep geologicalrepository for radioactive wastes in France. This evaluation was undertaken inthe context of a programme of assessment studies being performed bythe Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs (ANDRA).