Biosphere Impact Studies

Environmental contamination may result from activities related with the nuclear fuel cycle, applications in medicine and research and exploitation and treatment of ores and materials containing natural radionuclides.

For the modelling of the radionuclide transfer and the assessment of the radiation exposure in radioactive environments, knowledge on the behaviour of radionuclides in the different ecosystem compartments is required.

The reliability of the predictions largely depends on the degree of understanding of the important biological and physico-chemical processes governing the flux of radionuclides in agricultural and forestry ecosystems.
This knowledge will also enable us to propose countermeasures directed to limit radionuclide availability and uptake, and assess the impact of radioactive contamination on men, non-human biota or on an ecosystem.

Leaflet

Biosphere Impact Studies (2 MB)

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Main activities

Within the research unit Biosphere Impact Studies, there are 3 cornerstone activities:

1. Through experimentation, study the processes and mechanisms of radionuclide behaviour and transfer in the terrestrial environment.
2. Establishment of databases for model validation and development of models to predict dispersion and environmental evolution of the contamination and the resulting exposure to man and environment.
3. Application of know-how and modelling capacity in contract work, research projects, consultation.

These keystone activities evolve over four major interactive R&D domains presented below.

More information:

• Mechanisms of mobility and bioavailability in the terrestrial environment
• Dynamic modelling of forest vegetation functioning
• Effects induced in non-human biota
• Biosphere impact models