SREL Reprint #2355
Thomas G. Hinton
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
It is still an unending source of
surprise for me to see how a few scribbles on a
blackboard or on a sheet of paper could change the course of human affairs.
STANISLAW ULAM
INTRODUCTION
This chapter introduces the reader to the fundamentals of radioactive contamination and its associated risks. Emphasis is placed on topics that illustrate differences between radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants. Three key pathways by which organisms are exposed to radioactive contamination and the concepts used to calculate dose are highlighted. The effects of exposure to radiation and the data from which risk factors have been derived are presented. Both human and ecological risks are considered. The chapter ends by addressing the widely held view among radiation protection organizations that if man is adequately protected then so are the aquatic and terrestrial biota.
SREL Reprint #2355
Hinton, T.G. 1999. Risks from exposure to radiation. p. 251-278. In Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology, edited by M.C. Newman. Ann Arbor Press. Chelsea, MI.
