Methodology for Assessing Doses and Radiation Impact on Marine Organisms

Environmental protection is one of the key issues in the prospective policy and strategy of radiation protection. In this context, numerous efforts have been made for developing the framework for the protection of non-human species from ionizing radiation, especially in European countries and Unite States. The present report summarizes knowledge so far attained on the assessment of doses and radiation impact on marine organisms. Special attention was directed to the methodology for calculating absorbed doses of marine organisms, based on which a case study was also carried out for estimating absorbed dose rate of several species of marine organisms inhabiting in the coastal sea off Rokkasho-Mura, Aomori Prefecture where a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant came into operation.