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ICRP AND RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION OF NON-HUMAN SPECIES Lars-Erik Holm Vice-Chairman of ICRP INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP AND THE ENVIRONMENT ICRP has decided to develop a framework for assessing the radiological impact on non-human species. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP AND THE ENVIRONMENT “The Commission concerns itself with mankind’s environment only with regard to the transfer of radionuclides through the environment, since this directly affects the radiological protection of man.” (ICRP 60, 1991) INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP AND THE ENVIRONMENT “The Commission believes that the standards of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk.” (ICRP 60, 1991) INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS • The environment is protected through the protection of mankind. • Reproductive capacity is the relevant endpoint. • The appropriate level of protection is to avoid endangering the existence of species, or creating ecological imbalance. • ICRP has NOT explicitly stated that the environment should be protected. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ENVIRONMENTAL MILESTONES 1962 “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson. 1968 UN General Assembly decides to convene an international conference to protect and improve the human environment. 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. UN creates UNEP. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ENVIRONMENTAL MILESTONES 1980 World Conservation Strategy (UNEP, IUCN) 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development: “Our Common Future” - The Brundtland Report defines the concept of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and emphasizes the need to preserve BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ENVIRONMENTAL MILESTONES 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro lays down general principles for environmental protection, e.g. - the Rio Declaration - the Convention on Biological Diversity - the Agenda 21 Programme of Action. Biological diversity: “the variability among living organisms within within species, between species, and of ecosystems.” INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ENVIRONMENTAL MILESTONES The Rio Declaration: protection of the environment shall be an integral part of the development process and development shall be sustainable. The Convention on Biological Diversity: important that all organisms contribute to the ecosystem. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT Protecting living organisms in terms of ‘nature conservation’: • to conserve particular species or habitats • to maintain the diversity of habitats, of species, and of the genetic variability within species • to protect habitats and designated areas. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT Environmental management includes • Environmental exploitation (populations) • Conservation and protection of the natural environment (individuals, populations, habitats, ecosystems) • Pollution control (environmental quality standards) (Pentreath 2002) INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT There is no single ethic for protection of the environment. The basis can be traced back to • scientific evidence • social and cultural concerns (based on religious or philosophical tenets and beliefs) • the need to comply with international and national legislation. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— SPECTRUM OF ETHICS Anthropocentric: Humans are the main thing of moral standing. The environment is of concern only as it affects humans. Biocentric: Moral standing is extended to individual members of other species, and obligations pertaining to such individuals arise as a consequence. Ecocentric: Moral standing can be extended to virtually everything in the environment. The focus lies more with the entirety and diversity of the ecosystem rather than the moral significance of each and every individual component of it. (IAEA, 2002) INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT • The pollution prevention principle • The precautionary principle • The substitution principle • The polluter-pays principle INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— PERCEIVED PROBLEMS WITH ICRP’s STATEMENTS • No explicit scientific evidence quoted • What about habitats where humans are absent? • What if humans have been removed for their own safety? • How do the statements meet the needs of regulators, in terms of direct evidence of environmental protection? INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— INTERNATIONAL GUIDANCE • • • • • • • • International conventions UNSCEAR ICRP IAEA European Community IUR OECD/NEA National initiatives INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— INTERNATIONAL GUIDANCE The Joint Convention on the Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel and Radioactive Waste: • Protection of individuals, society and the environment. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— THE OSPAR CONVENTION Oslo-Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic • Concentrations of artificial radionuclides in the marine environment should be reduced towards zero. • Ultimate aim: near background values for naturally occurring radioactive substances, and close to zero for artificial radioactive substances. (Sintra 1998) INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— APPROACHES TO ADDRESS ICRP’s CURRENT POSITION • Arguments that because man is protected, the environment is protected (axiomatic). • Calculations to demonstrate that, if man would receive <1mSv a-1, other organisms would not be harmed at the population level (human food chain). • Environmental concentrations derived in a tiered approach, based on environmental dose rates considered safe (generic population protection standards). INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— APPROACHES TO ADDRESS ICRP’s CURRENT POSITION • Target dose rates developed for biota based on an eco-toxicological approach applying safety factors (‘no-effects standards’). • Systematic frameworks for assessing environmental impact of radiation in specific geographic areas. • A hierarchical system with ‘derived consideration levels’(Discrete Reference Fauna & Flora). INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES • STOCKHOLM 1996 • OTTAWA 1999 • DARWIN 2002 INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— International Conference on the PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT FROM THE EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION Organized by the IAEA In co-operation with UNSCEAR, the EC and the IUR Hosted by the Government of Sweden through the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority Stockholm, Sweden 6-10 October 2003 INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— Mailing address & information under: http://www.iaea.org/worldatom/Meetings/2003 WHY AN ICRP SYSTEM FOR THE ENVIRONMENT? • The environment needs protection from harmful effects of radiation. • There is a need to demonstrate that the environment is adequately protected. • There are no explicit sets of criteria, standards etc. with international authority or endorsement. • Several countries are already implementing environmental radiation standards. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT • The shift from a purely anthropocentric view to include other aspects is reflected in conventions that emphasize sustainability and biological diversity. • The need and goals for protection of the environment have been defined by society. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUALS OR POPULATIONS? • The question no longer so important, because of existing legal requirements. • Many animals, plants, areas, and habitats are afforded legal protection from ‘harm’ from all manner of activities, including radiation. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUALS OR POPULATIONS? In the UK, many common species are protected at the individual level: • 30 mammals; • 500 birds and (>200 species) their eggs; • 40 invertebrates; and • 130 plants. This reflects changes in attitudes and values. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT • Many international agreements call for protection against pollution, incl. radiation. • There are no agreed criteria that address radiological protection of the environment. • This lack makes it difficult to determine or demonstrate whether or not the environment is adequately protected from potential impacts of radiation. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— RADIATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT • The human habitat has been afforded protection through the application of ICRP’s current system of protection. HOW CAN WE DEMONSTRATE THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS ADEQUATELY PROTECTED? INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP AND THE ENVIRONMENT ICRP’s decision has not been driven by any particular concern over environmental radiation hazards, but by the need to fill a conceptual gap in the system of radiological protection. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP AND THE ENVIRONMENT ICRP intends to • recommend a practical framework that can be used to give advice and guidance, thereby • helping regulators and operators demonstrate compliance with environmental legislation. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP’s SYSTEM OF PROTECTION The system is achieved in practice by the use of: • Reference anatomical and physiological models of humans to derive practical information on the anticipated ‘dose per unit intake’ of radionuclides. • Scientific studies to estimate risks associated with the external and internal exposure to radionuclides. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— REFERENCE MAN • Dose calculations require reference values to describe anatomical/physiological characteristics of an exposed individual. • Such values for tissues/organs define a reference individual. • A reference individual is not intended to describe an ‘average’ individual. • The purpose is to create a standard and a point of reference for the procedure of dose estimation. • The concept of a Reference Man is one of the cornerstones in radiological protection. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP AND THE ENVIRONMENT ICRP is developing • a reference set of dosimetric models; • a reference set of environmental geometries that are • applied to Reference Animals and Plants. This will allow an assessment of the likely consequences for individuals, the population, or of the local environment. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— REFERENCE ANIMALS AND PLANTS For each reference organism obtain data on: • basic life-cycle biology • pathways of radiation exposure expressed in terms of dose-per-unit-exposure • exposure geometries and dose model(s) to estimate doses received • basic knowledge of radiation effects and a few effect end points on individuals. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— POINTS OF REFERENCE TO DESCRIBE RELEVANCE OF RADIATION DOSES IN NON-HUMAN ORGANISMS • Dose rates required to observe: - early mortality - morbidity - reduced reproductive success - chromosomal damage • Typical background dose rate for that type of animal or plant. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— RADIATION EFFECTS Ecosystem Community Natural selection Population Individuals Tissues Cells Molecular mechanisms INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— CRITERIA FOR REFERENCE ANIMALS AND PLANTS • Are they typical of an ecosystem? • Are they likely to be exposed to radiation? • What stage(s) in their life cycle are of relevance for the dose or dose rate? • Can their exposure to radiation be modelled and be related to effects in the individual organism? • What radiobiological information is available? • Are they amenable to future research? INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— TAXONOMIC LEVEL OF A REFERENCE ORGANISM CATEGORY ANIMAL Phylum Chordatae Class Mammaliae Order Carnivorae Family Felidae Species Felis domesticus Variety Siamese, Persian blue INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP’s REFERENCE ANIMALS AND PLANTS Rat Duck Frog Freshwater fish Marine flat fish Bee INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION Earthworm Marine snail Crab Grass Brown seaweed Pine tree —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP’s REFERENCE ANIMALS AND PLANTS Organism Terrestrial Freshwater Rodent X Duck X X Frog X X Freshwater fish X Marine flat fish Marine X X Bee X Marine snail X Crab Earthworm X Pine Tree X Grass X Brown seaweed INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION X X X X X X X x —————————————————————————————————————— DERIVED CONSIDERATION LEVELS RAISED CONCERN > Several times the natural background Natural background for a reference organism < Natural background LITTLE CONCERN INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— A COMMON APPROACH Practices Environmental radionuclide concentration(s) Reference Man Dose limits, Dose constraints Reference Animals and Plants Derived Consideration Levels Decision-Making regarding public health and environment for the same environmental situation INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP’S CURRENT WORK WITH REFERENCE ANIMALS AND PLANTS (RAP) • Select, describe and define ICRP’s RAPs. • Define end-points for assessing radiation effects in RAPs. • Develop a reference set of dose models for RAPs. • Compile sets of Derived Consideration Levels for RAPs. • Develop a set of quantities and units that could be suggested for use for RAPs. A report is expected in 2005. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— WHAT MIGHT ALL THIS HELP TO ACHIEVE? • A clear set of objectives and principles. • Basic knowledge of radiation effects. • An agreed set of quantities and units. • A means of demonstrating compliance. • A reference set of dose models for a number of Reference Animals and Plants. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT • A framework for radiological protection of the environment must be practical and simple. • In order to transparently demonstrate the derivation of judgements and decisions, the use of Reference Animals and Plants would be helpful. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION —————————————————————————————————————— ICRP COMMITTEE 5 CHAIR: R JAN PENTREATH, UK Protection of the environment Development and use of Reference Animals and Plants Ensure compatibility of approach with: - human radiological protection and - with other forms of environmental protection INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION ——————————————————————————————————————