Abstract: |
This project is being conducted at the former nuclear weapons testing sites at Maralinga and Emu, SA. Our objective is to measure the amounts of radionuclides entering the food web at these sites where nuclear activities have occurred in the past. Typically, animals living in, or near, soils at such sites are susceptible to uptake of radionuclides. Some measurements of this type were made in the 1980's, which are being made use of. However, these measurements have become dated and are not sufficient to tell what the conditions are today, so further measurements at the sites are required. The information will be useful to Australian scientists, international scientists (it will be shared through an international database on biota uptake of radionuclides) and to anyone interested in conditions at the study sites themselves. The project is being supported by the following three organisations: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, and the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts, Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist.
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