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Environment sheet: description
Theses fact sheets describe the behaviour of the chemical element in the principal compartments of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems using the following assumptions. Isotope discrimination is negligible, which is verified for most of the elements considered. When the element has stable isotopes, the behavioural analogy between the stable and radioactive isotopes is accepted implicitly, with the understanding that for naturally-occurring elements, the chemical form and emission environment for anthropogenic discharge may involve pathways and transfer processes different from those identified for the stable natural element.
The radioactive isotope designated in the title of the fact sheet has major radioecological importance with regard to quantity and persistence in the environment, with other isotopes, both radioactive and stable, being cited as well. The information, which has been intentionally simplified, is intended to reflect the level of knowledge on the topic as of publication and provide values for the main usual radioecological parameters for estimating transfer in the environment and the food chain in particular.
