Assessing the Impact of Deep Sea Disposal of Low Level Radioactive Waste on Living Marine Resources
Vienna, Austria: International Atomic Energy Agency, 1988. Presumed First Edition, First Printing. Wraps. [8], 127, [1] pages. The front cover has a corner crease. Equations. Tables. References. Technical Reports Series No. 288 evaluates the radiological impact of dumping low-level radioactive waste in deep-ocean abyssal ecosystems, developing mathematical models to estimate doses to marine organisms. The report highlights that specific radionuclides pose significant risks to deep-sea species, supporting the need for ecological protection guidelines and contributing to the eventual ban on such dumping under the London Convention. In revising the definition of high level radioactive waste unsuitable for dumping at sea, calculations of water concentrations in and near a dump site have been made and used to estimate doses to ‘typical’ marine species living at or near the sea floor at a depth of 4000 m. These calculations show that there are radionuclides that can give rise to significant doses to these typical species. The Report contents are: 1. Introduction; 2. Nature of the deep sea ecosystem; 3. Naturally occurring and fallout radionuclides in the marine environment; 4. Effects of radiation on aquatic organisms; 5. Methods of dosimetry for aquatic organisms and an estimate of the background dose rate in the deep sea; 6. Derivation of dose rates to organisms based on the IAEA definition of high level radioactive waste unsuitable for dumping at sea; 7. Dose rates arising from actual sea dumping operations; 8. Summary and conclusions; Appendix: Equations and parameters used for calculations and results. Future revisions of the Definition and Recommendations will have to consider impacts on the marine ecosystem in setting limits for dumping. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 as an autonomous organization within the United Nations System; though governed by its own founding treaty, the organization reports to both the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations, and is headquartered at the UN Office at Vienna, Austria. The IAEA was created in response to growing international concern toward nuclear weapons, especially amid rising tensions between the foremost nuclear powers, the United States and the Soviet Union.[4] U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" speech, which called for the creation of an international organization to monitor the global proliferation of nuclear resources and technology, is credited with catalyzing the formation of the IAEA, whose treaty came into force on 29 July 1957 upon U.S. ratification. The IAEA serves as an intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear technology and nuclear power worldwide. It maintains several programs that encourage the development of peaceful applications of nuclear energy, science, and technology; provide international safeguards against misuse of nuclear technology and nuclear materials; and promote and implement nuclear safety (including radiation protection) and nuclear security standards. The organization conducts research in nuclear science and provides technical support and training in nuclear technology to countries worldwide, particularly in the developing world. Following the ratification of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1968, all non-nuclear powers are required to negotiate a safeguards agreement with the IAEA, which has the authority to monitor nuclear programs and to inspect nuclear facilities. In 2005, the IAEA and its administrative head, Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way". The IAEA is described as having three main missions: Peaceful uses: Promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy by its member states; Safeguards: Implementing safeguards to verify that nuclear energy is not used for military purposes; and Nuclear safety: Promoting high standards for nuclear safety. According to Article II of the IAEA Statute, the objectives of the IAEA are "to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world" and to "ensure ... that assistance provided by it or at its request or under its supervision or control is not used in such a way as to further any military purpose." Its primary functions in this area, according to Article III, are to encourage research and development, to secure or provide materials, services, equipment, and facilities for Member States, and to foster the exchange of scientific and technical information and training. Three of the IAEA's six departments are principally charged with promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The Department of Nuclear Energy focuses on providing advice and services to Member States on nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle. The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications focuses on the use of non-power nuclear and isotope techniques to help IAEA Member States in the areas of water, energy, health, biodiversity, and agriculture. The Department of Technical Cooperation provides direct assistance to IAEA Member States, through national, regional, and inter-regional projects through training, expert missions, scientific exchanges, and provision of equipment. Condition: Good.
Keywords: Deep Sea Disposal, Low Level Radioactive Waste, Living Marine Resources, Biomass, Biochemical Adaptations, Fish, Invertebrates, Radionuclides, Fallout, Aquatic Environments, Histopathology, Genetic Effects, Dosimetry, Dose Models
ISBN: 9201254881
[Book #91712]
Price: $185.00