Radionuclide Concentrations in Food and the Environment

As radiological residue, both naturally occurring and technologically driven, works its way through the ecosystem, we see its negative effects on the human population. Radionuclide Concentrations in Food and the Environment addresses the key issues concerning the relationship between natural and manmade sources of environmental radioactivity, their transportation through the ecosystem, and the subsequent radionuclide concentrations in foods and the human population. The book discusses the negative effects of environmental radioactivity on plants and animals, as well as the effects of radiocontaminated food on human health, and perspectives for transfer prevention. Beginning with the fundamentals of matter and the behavior of particles, the text lays a solid foundation for discussions on the source of radionuclides and their concentrations in air, water, and soil. Using predictive modeling, the authors examine the transfer of radionuclides through ecosystems and their effects on individual substances. The book provides up-to-date information on monitoring programs and legislation, detailed descriptions of detection systems, and evaluations of safety protocols in radioanalytical laboratories and in food processing. The authors devote considerable attention to the nuclear and radiological terrorist threat, illicit trafficking and masking of radioactive materials, event scenarios, and radiological forensics.