1. Che Doering
Protection of non-human biota: Methodology,
assessment tools and data requirements
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)
Protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation
1

2. http://www.arpansa.gov.au/pubs/technicalreports/tr154.pdf
2

3. Conclusions
• The ICRP has established a framework for radiological assessment and protection
of non-human species based on a reference animal and plant approach
• There is a need for national guidance on protection of non-human species, identified
through the NDRP, and realised by the need of the uranium mining industry to
integrate world best practice standards for assessing environmental impacts
• The ERICA approach provides a practical framework for radiological assessment of
non-human species and can potentially be adapted for use in Australian situations
• Research is required to collect and assemble data on fauna and flora common to
major Australian environments in order to establish a set of Australian reference
organisms to facilitate the use of the ERICA framework in an Australian context
3

4. Background
• The longstanding practice for assessing the radiological protection
of the living environment has been to assume that if humans
were protected then other species were also adequately protected
• However, it is now generally accepted that there is a need to
demonstrate rather than assume that non-human biota living
in its natural habitat is protected against ionising radiation risks
from radionuclides released to the environment by human actions
4

5. ICRP framework
From: ICRP, 2009. Environmental Protection: the Concept and Use of Reference Animals and Plants. ICRP Publication 108.
5

6. Australian U mining context
• Uranium mining and milling are actions current and prospective in
Australia with potential to release radionuclides to the environment
• The EPBC Act recognises mining or milling uranium ore as a
‘nuclear action’ and ‘matter of national environmental significance’
• The EPBC Act requires the proponent to address ‘relevant impacts
of the action’ through draft PER or draft EIS
• Australian Government policy is that U mining should be based on
world best practice standards for assessing environmental impacts
• The implication is that environmental assessment under the EPBC
Act should consider the radiation risk to non-human species
6

7. Current national guidance
National Directory (RPS6):
“The principles for regulatory frameworks will require
development of specific guidance on protection of
non-human species, which will be included when
international guidance on the issue becomes clear.”
Mining Code (RPS9):
“For the purposes of the Code it is assumed that by
achieving adequate protection of human health, an
acceptable level of protection will be afforded to the
environment. However, this assumption may not be
valid in all circumstances and specific additional
control measures may be required.”
7

8. ERICA
• A European-developed conceptual framework and computational
platform for assessment and protection of non-human species
• ERICA Integrated Approach interconnects the elements of
assessment, risk characterisation and management
• ERICA Tool practically implements the assessment component of
the Integrated Approach
• Assessment approach incorporated within ERICA uses reference
organisms and is consistent with the ICRP framework
8

9. ERICA Tool
• Freely available software programme
• Includes a set of default organisms and parameter values
• Flexible to allow the user to define their own organism and parameter
values
• Site-specific and probabilistic assessment capability
9

10. Tiered assessment structure
Tier 1
Generic screening
Data needs
Tier 2
Detailed screening
Tier 3
Site-specific analysis
Generality
Resources
10

11. Assessment process
Media concentration
Release
Dispersion model
Transfer model
Whole-body activity
concentrations
Dosimetry model
(external exposure)
Dosimetry model
(internal exposure)Dose rate
Risk
Effects data/
benchmark value
Decision-making
11

12. Transfer – concentration ratio (CR)
• The ERICA Tool uses organism-to-media CR to estimate whole-body
activity concentration in biota from that in media
• CR = concentration in biota / concentration in media
• The default CRs included in the ERICA Tool are biased towards
European situations and may not be appropriate for assessments in
an Australian context
• A Tier 2 assessment allows the user to input their own CR values,
obviating reliance on the defaults... But this assumes that data exists
12

13. Existing Australian CR data
• Sparse – Alligator Rivers Region, Maralinga, ANSTO study
• Mostly at the tissue-to-media level; the data originally being
collected for specific plant and animal tissues consumed by
humans
• Lack of organism-to-media CR for Australian biota impedes
resonant and technically robust assessments of Australian
situations using ERICA
• To facilitate the implementation of ERICA in the Australian
context, research is required to collect and assemble CR data
on fauna and flora common to major Australian environments in
order to establish a set of Australian reference organisms
13

14. Future ARPANSA activities
• Engage with industry, industry groups and government
departments to discuss environmental radiological protection
• Engage with RHC on the development of specific national guidance
to do with protection of non-human species
• Continue to promote awareness of radiological protection of non-
human species in an Australian context
• Investigate options and opportunities for research in order to
address data gaps and to establish a set of Australian reference
organisms
14

15. Questions?
15