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Term | Meaning | |||||
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Absorbed dose | Quantity of energy imparted by ionising radiation to unit mass of matter such as tissue. Unit gray, symbol Gy. 1 Gy = 1 joule per kilogram. | |||||
Activity Concentration | The activity per unit mass or volume, e.g. Bq kg-1, Bq l-1 | |||||
AECL | Atomic Energy Canada Limited | |||||
ALARA | "As low as reasonably achievable", refers to actions directed to limiting doses to individuals, the number of exposed individuals, and the probability of receiving a dose. | |||||
Allometry | Relationships between body mass of organisms and various parameters (including of relevance to PROTECT radionuclide biological half-life and dietary dry matter intake). | |||||
Assessment Endpoint | The biological effect inferred from measurements or predictions and which the assessment framework is designed to study. | |||||
Assessment factor | Allowance for degree of uncertainty, caused by lack of effects data. For example, an estimated lowest observed effect concentration may, as a precautionary approach, be divided by a assessment factor (normally within the range of 10 to 10000) to safeguard against harmful effects, where the magnitude of the assessment factor reflects the degree and type of uncertainty (e.g. lack of chronic exposure data, lack of data for different taxonomic groups or trophic levels, etc.). The assessment factor (AF) is also know as the safety factor. | |||||
Assessment Framework | Identification and demarcation of the assessment boundaries. In FASSET, the framework contains the process from problem formulation through to characterisation of the effects of radiation on individuals. The overall | |||||
Authorisation | he granting by a regulatory body or other governmental body of written permission for an operator to perform specified activities. | |||||
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BAT | Best Available Technology: a term applied to abatement technology designed to limit pollutant discharges. The term constitutes a moving target on practices, since developing societal values and advancing techniques may change what is currently regarded as 'best available'. Similar terms include 'best practicable means' and 'best practicable environmental option'. | |||||
BCG | Biota Concentration Guidelines: the media concentration for which the corresponding dose rate is equal to the screening dose rate used in the USDoE's | |||||
BCG calculator | Biota Concentration Guidelines calculator: A semi-automated tool for implementing screening and analysis methods contained within the USDoE graded approach. Although the BCG calculator is still available RESRAD-BIOTA has been developed to replace it. | |||||
Benchmark | Risk assessment benchmarks are the concentrations, doses or dose rates that are estimated to equate to predefined criteria (e.g. predicted no effects dose rate, | |||||
Bioaccumulation | The process whereby an organism accumulates substances in living tissues to concentrations higher than those existing in the surrounding media. | |||||
Bioassay | A test to determine the relative strength of a substance by comparing its effect on a test organism with that of a standard preparation. | |||||
Bioavailability | Defined as the fraction of the contaminant that can be taken up by living organisms, dependant both on the chemical speciation of the exposure source(s) and on the physiological status of the organism. | |||||
Biodiversity | The number and abundance of species found within a common environment. This includes the variety of genes, species, ecosystems, and the ecological processes that connect everything in a common environment. | |||||
Biological half-life | The time required for a biological system (e.g. an animal) to eliminate, by natural processes, half the amount of a substance that has been absorbed into that system. | |||||
Biomagnification | Situations where the concentration of certain substances increases up the food chain. | |||||
Biosphere | That part of the environment normally inhabited by living organisms. In | |||||
Birds Directive | The abbreviated term of 'Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the Conservation of Wild Birds'. It is the aim of this directive to promote the | |||||
BPEO | Best Practicable Environmental Option, see BAT. | |||||
BPM | Best Practicable Means, see BAT. | |||||
BWG | Biota Working Group: Part of the IAEA EMRAS programme aimed at comparing | |||||
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Conceptual model | Representation of the environmental system and of the physico-chemical and | |||||
Contaminant | Any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter that has | |||||
CR | November 2008 | |||||
Cytogenetic effect | An observed effect in chromosomes that can be correlated with adverse | |||||
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DCC | Dose Conversion Coefficient expressed as Gy per kg of the target organism per | |||||
DCF | Dose Conversion Factor, see Dose Conversion Coefficient. | |||||
DCL | Derived consideration level: A band of absorbed dose rate for each Reference | |||||
Dispersion model | Model for the representation of the spreading of radionuclides in air | |||||
Dose | See absorbed dose | |||||
Dose constraint | A restriction on annual dose to an individual (human), which may either relate to a | |||||
Dose rate | Dose (normally absorbed dose) received over a specified unit of time. | |||||
Dose-effect | The relationship between dose (usually an estimate of dose) and the gradation | |||||
Dose-response | A correlation between a quantified exposure (dose) and the proportion of an | |||||
Dosimetry | The measurement and calculation of radiation dose in matter and tissue resulting | |||||
DWB | Direct Weighted Bootstrap | |||||
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EA R&D 128 | Radiological assessment approach for wildlife and associated tool developed by | |||||
Ecological impact | The total effect of an environmental change, natural or man-made, on the | |||||
Ecological Receptor | Living organisms at various organisational levels (i.e. ecosystems, communities, | |||||
Ecosystem | The interacting system of a biological community and its nonliving surroundings. | |||||
ECx | Effect Concentration: the concentration of a chemical required to cause a given | |||||
EDRx | Effects Dose Rate: the radiation dose rate required to cause a given effect to x% of | |||||
EIA | Environmental Impact Assessment | EMRAS Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety: An IAEA programme aimed at ). | ||||
EMCLS | Environmental Media Concentration Limits: Used as part of the ERICA Tool and | |||||
Endpoint | In toxicity testing and evaluation it is the biological response that is measured. | |||||
ENEV | Environmental No Effects Value: a dose level at which a population of organisms | |||||
Environment | Water, air, land, plants and man and all other organisms living therein, and the | |||||
EIS | Environmental Impact Statement: a document providing information for | |||||
Environmental Justice | Often used interchangeably with the term environmental equity, refers to the |
Environmental quality criteria|The levels of pollution and lengths of exposure, above which adverse effects
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may occur on health and welfare.|
Environmental |
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EQSs | Environmental Quality Standards | |||||
ERA | Ecological Risk Assessment | |||||
Environmental Risk from Ionising Contaminants: Assessment and | ||||||
ERICA Tool | A tool implementing the ERICA tiered approach for radiological assessment of | |||||
EURATOM | European Atomic Energy Community | |||||
Exposure | The co-occurrence or contact between the endpoint organism and the stressor (e.g. radiation or radionuclide). | |||||
Exposure Assessment | The process of measuring or estimating the intensity, frequency, and duration of exposures to an agent currently present in the environment or of estimating hypothetical exposures that might arise from the release of new chemicals into the environment. | |||||
Exposure pathway | A route by which radiation or radionuclides can reach humans and cause exposure - an exposure pathway may be very simple, e.g. external exposure from airborne radionuclides, or a more complex chain. | |||||
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FASSET | Framework for Assessment of Environmental Impact EURATOM 5th Framework project (see http://www.ceh.ac.uk/protect/FASSETdeliverables.html). | |||||
Feature species | see reference organisms | |||||
Fecundity | The number of viable offspring produced by an organism; mature seeds produced, eggs laid, or live offspring delivered, excluding fertilised embryos that have failed to develop. | |||||
Fertility | The ability to produce offspring. | |||||
Foundation species | Highly interactive species that are often extremely abundant or ecologically dominant. | |||||
FREDERICA | The FASSET Radiation Effects Database (FRED) which has been updated through ). | |||||
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Gamma air kerma | Gamma air kerma is exposure measured in air which is in effect, the absorbed dose | |||||
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Habitats Directive | The abbreviated term of 'Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of Natural Habitats and the Wild Fauna and Flora'. It is the aim of this directive to promote the conservation of certain habitats and species within the European Union. | |||||
Hazard | A condition or physical situation with a potential for an undesirable | |||||
Hazard analysis | Procedure used to (1) identify potential sources of release of hazardous materials from fixed facilities or transportation accidents; (2) determine the vulnerability of a geographical area to a release of hazardous materials; and (3) compare hazards to determine which present greater or lesser risks to a community. | |||||
Hazard Identification | Recognising that a hazard exists and trying to define its characteristics. The process of determining whether exposure to an agent can cause an increase in the incidence of an adverse health or environmental effect. | |||||
HDRx | Hazardous Dose (rate) affecting x% of the species of a given ecosystem. This | |||||
HNED(R) | The highest no effect dose or dose rate in a toxicity test that does not causes a statistically significant effect in comparison to the control. The same definition applies for Concentration. See NOEC. | |||||
Hormetic pattern | Pattern of dose response where there is an initial 'positive' effect at low concentrations of a chemical or low radiation dose rates, followed by a progressive negative effect at higher concentrations or dose rates. | |||||
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IAEA | International Atomic Energy Agency, see www.iaea.org | |||||
ICRP | International Commission on Radiological Protection, see www.icrp.org | |||||
Indicator Organisms | A species, whose presence or absence may be characteristic of environmental conditions in a particular area of habitat; however, species composition and relative abundance of individual components of the population or community are usually considered to be a more reliable index of water quality. | |||||
IUR International Union of Radioecology ( http://www.iur-uir.org/en/) | ||||||
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Kd | Distribution Coefficient used to quantify the equilibrium between solid and | |||||
Kerma | Kerma is the kinetic energy released in material measured in Gy. Kerma can be quoted for any specified material at a point in free space or in an absorbing medium. See gamma air kerma. | |||||
Keystone species | A species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community and whose impact on the community is greater than would be expected based on its relative abundance or total biomass. | |||||
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LEL | for an undesirable | |||||
LOEC, LOED(R) | The lowest observed effect concentration in a toxicity test that causes a | |||||
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Measurement endpoint | http://www.iur-uir.org/en/ ) | |||||
Morbidity | Morbidity A loss of functional capacities generally manifested as reduced fitness, which | |||||
Mortality | Death; the death rate; ratio of number of deaths to a given population. | |||||
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NATURA 2000 Site | A protected ecological area within the EU containing threatened habitats | |||||
Natural Background | The doses, dose rates or activity concentrations associated with natural sources or | |||||
NCRP | National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, see | |||||
NEA | Nuclear Energy Agency. A specialised agency within the Organisation for | |||||
NGO | Non-Governmental Organisation | |||||
NoE | Network of Excellence: EC funding mechanism | |||||
NOEC, NOED(R) | No observed effect concentration is the highest concentration in a toxicity test | |||||
NPP | Nuclear Power Plant | |||||
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OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, see www.oecd.org | |||||
Occupancy factors | The maximum fraction of time during which individuals may be exposed to a given | |||||
OSPAR | .uk/PROTECT/ | |||||
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PNED(R) | Predicted No-Effect Dose (Rate) expressed in Gy or Gy per unit of time. | |||||
PNEC | Predicted No-Effect Concentration, see NOEC, NOED(R) for No Effect | |||||
Precautionary Principle | The precautionary principle applies where scientific evidence is insufficient, | |||||
PROTECT | Protection of the Environment from Ionising Radiation in a Regulatory Context | |||||
Protection goal | The measurable aims of environmental protection | |||||
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Radiation weighting factors | Factor (numeric value) which represents the relative biological effectiveness of the | |||||
Radioactive Material | Material designated in national law or by a regulatory body as being subject |
Radioactive Substance| A substance that emits ionising radiation. See also radioactive material.|
SubstanceRadioecological Sensitivity Radioecological | A combination of features which includes biology and habits of an organism, that | |||||
Radionuclide | An unstable nuclide that undergoes spontaneous transformation, emitting | |||||
RAP | Reference Animals and Plants: Group of 12 reference organisms proposed as part | |||||
RBE | Relative Biological Effectiveness: For a given type of radiation, the RBE is the dose | |||||
REACH | Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals and EU regulatory | |||||
Receptor | See ecological receptor | |||||
Reference Organisms | A series of entities that provide a basis for the estimation of radiation dose rate | |||||
Relative Biological Response | The proportion or absolute size of an exposed population that demonstrates a | |||||
www.ceh.ac.uk/PROTECT/ | Radiological assessment tool which implements the US DoE's graded approach for | |||||
Risk | A statistical concept describing the expected frequency or probability of | |||||
Risk assessment | A qualitative or quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health | |||||
Risk characterisation | The synthesis of information obtained during risk assessment for use in | |||||
Risk communication | The exchange of information about health or environmental risks among risk | |||||
Risk evaluation | A component of risk assessment in which judgments are made about the | |||||
Risk management | The selection and practical implementation of regulatory and non-regulatory | |||||
RQ | Risk Quotient: ratio of predicted dose rate to benchmark dose rate. | |||||
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Safety factors | See assessment factor (the favoured term used by PROTECT). | |||||
Screening assessment | Simple and generally highly conservative assessment tier. | |||||
Screening value | In the context of PROTECT, the screening value is equivalent to the PNED(R). | |||||
SD | Standard Deviation | |||||
SETAC | Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry | |||||
Source | Anything that may cause radiation exposure — such as by emitting ionising | |||||
SSD | Species Sensitivity Distribution establishing the statistical distribution of the | |||||
Sustainability | The ability of an ecosystem to maintain ecological processes and functions, issue: 12th November 2008 | |||||
Synergism | An interaction between two substances that results in a greater effect than both | |||||
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TeNORM | Technologically-Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material. Refers to | |||||
TGD | European Chemicals Bureau Technical Guidance Document on risk assessment ). | |||||
Threshold | A contaminant concentration (or dose), below which no deleterious effect | |||||
Tiered assessment | Approach involving progressively detailed tiers of assessment generally starting | |||||
Toxicant | A substance that kills or injures an organism through chemical or physical | |||||
Trigger value | See screening value | |||||
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Uncertainty | This arises from imprecision due to lack of information, expert judgement and/or | |||||
UNSCEAR | United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation | |||||
USDoE | United States Department of Energy | |||||
USDoE graded approach | United States Department of Energy graded approach for evaluating radiation | |||||
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Valued ecosystem components | Assessed species selected for both scientific and public interest reasons. components | |||||
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WFD | Water Framework Directive. EC water legislation for integrated river basin |