Evaluation and ranking of restoration strategies for radioactively contaminated sites.

An international project, whose aim was the development of a transparent and robust method for evaluating and ranking restoration strategies for radioactively contaminated sites (RESTRAT), was carried out under the Fourth Framework of the Nuclear Fission Safety Programme of the EU. The evaluation and ranking procedure used was based on the principles of justification and optimisation for radiation protection. A multi-attribute utility analysis was applied to allow for the inclusion of radiological health effects, economic costs and social factors. Values of these attributes were converted into utility values by applying linear utility functions and weighting factors, derived from scaling constants and expert judgement. The uncertainties and variabilities associated with these utility functions and weighting factors were dealt with by a probabilistic approach which utilised a Latin Hypercube Sampling technique. Potentially relevant restoration techniques were identified and their characteristics determined through a literature review. The methodology developed by this project has been illustrated by application to representative examples of different categories of contaminated sites; a waste disposal site, a uranium tailing site and a contaminated freshwater river.     

Application of the luminescence single-aliquot technique for dose estimation in the Marmara Sea

The aim of this study is to obtain the equivalent dose, which is the important quantity for all the studies related to the use of luminescence in dating sediments. Recent advances in luminescence dating have led to increasing application of the technique to sediment from the depositional environmental samples. The sample used in this study is the active main fault sample that was collected from the Sea of Marmara in NW Turkey. Equivalent dose was measured using both the multiple-aliquots and the single-aliquot techniques. In this study single aliquot regeneration on additive dose (SARA) procedure was also used. The result obtained was not in agreement with the results evaluated from the multiple-aliquots procedure. So a simple modification was suggested for SARA procedure. In our modified procedure the calculated dose (D) values were obtained by using the additive dose protocol instead of regeneration protocol.     

基于资源-技术-环境的高技术城市矿产战略性筛选

城市矿产中蕴含大量的高技术矿产,它们是战略性新兴产业发展的关键原材料。本文从中国国情出发,界定了涵盖新能源技术、通讯设备、交通工具、电池、电器电子产品等5大类共计27种高技术城市矿产,从资源、技术、环境三个维度设计了11项指标,对高技术城市矿产进行战略性筛选;并通过半定量化不确定性分析方法确定研究结果的可靠性。结果显示:(1)从资源-技术两维度看,电器电子产品用电池资源指数高,且技术相对成熟;动力汽车电池资源指数值略低,但未来开发潜力大。(2)从资源-环境两维度看,电池是拆解处置重点。(3)从资源-技术-环境三维度来看,高技术城市矿产可以分为四个梯队:高资源指数、高技术指数、高环境指数的"三高"梯队,包括EEE用镍氢电池、EEE用镍镉电池、EEE用锂离子电池;中高资源指数、中高技术指数、中高环境指数的"三中高"梯队,包括手机和动力汽车电池;低资源指数、低技术指数、中高环境指数的"二低一中高"梯队,包括风涡轮机、荧光灯、动力汽车永磁电机和电话机;资源指数、技术指数、环境指数都相对较低的"三低"梯队,包括电器电子产品和光伏电板。此外,随着时间的推移,筛选结果会发生动态变化,因此高技术城市矿产的战略性筛选是一个持续动态的评估过程,需要建立与之相适应的"开发一批、储备一批、谋划一批"的动态管理系统。基于研究结论,本文从高技术城市矿产的基础数据库建立、重点开发目录制定与调整、在线回收与交易平台构建、拆解技术储备以及可持续供应体系建立等方面提出了建议。     

Stabilising cooperation through pragmatic tolerance: the case of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) tuna fishery

Purse seine fishing of skipjack tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) raises concern over increasing impacts on yellowfin and bigeye tuna by-catch. To address sustainability concerns, the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) adopted the vessel day scheme (VDS) for the management of purse seine fishing in the WCPO. The VDS has the potential to improve economic benefits for PNA members and to contribute to sustainability of the tuna stocks, and since 2012, has become an important mechanism to regulate fishing access rights in PNA waters. Despite this, monitoring and enforcement remains weak leading to violations of the agreement. Using a game theoretic framework, this paper examines the effectiveness of the VDS and its implications for fisheries regionalism. We examine the payoffs of member countries of the Nauru Agreement under full compliance and payoffs under the currently observed partial compliance. Our findings indicate that member states’ partial compliance with VDS rules plays a role in stabilising the agreement. Requiring full compliance, on the other hand, may encompass strong incentives for PNA members to deviate from the VDS since third parties offer attractive benefits in return for privileged access to fishing grounds. However, pragmatic tolerance of deviations from full VDS compliance seems to play a facilitative role in promoting cooperation and fisheries regionalism.

     

Probabilistic distribution coefficients (Kds) in freshwater for radioisotopes of Ag,Am, Ba,Be, Ce,Co, Cs,I, Mn,Pu, Ra,Ru, Sb,Sr and Th – implications for uncertainty analysis of models simulating the transport of radionuclides in rivers

The objective of this study was to provide operational probability density functions (PDFs) for distribution coefficients (K_ds) in freshwater, representing the partition of radionuclides between the particulate and the dissolved phases respectively. Accordingly, the K_d variability should be considered in uncertainty analysis of transport and risk assessment models. The construction of PDFs for 8 elements (Ag, Am, Co, Cs, I, Mn, Pu and Sr) was established according to the procedure already tested in Durrieu et al. [2006. A weighted bootstrap method for the determination of probability density functions of freshwater distribution coefficients (K_ds) of Co, Cs, Sr and I radioisotopes. Chemosphere 65 (8), 1308–1320]: (i) construction of a comprehensive database where K_ds values obtained under various environments and parametric conditions were collected; (ii) scoring procedure to account for the ‘quality’ of each datapoint (according to several criteria such as the presentation of data (e.g. raw data vs mean with or without replicates), contact time, pH, solid-to-liquid ratio, expert judgement) in the construction of the PDF; (iii) weighted bootstrapping procedure to build the PDFs, in order to give more importance to the most relevant datapoints. Two types of PDFs were constructed: (i) non-conditional, usable when no knowledge about the site of concern is available; (ii) conditional PDFs corresponding to a limited range of parameters such as pH or contact time; conditional PDFs can thus be used when some parametric information is known on the site under study. For 7 other radionuclides (Ba, Be, Ce, Ra, Ru, Sb and Th), a simplified procedure was adopted because of the scarcity of data: only non-conditional PDFs were built, without incorporating a scoring procedure.     

An interlaboratory comparison of nanosilver characterisation and hazard identification: Harmonising techniques for high quality data

Within the FP7 EU project NanoValid a consortium of six partners jointly investigated the hazard of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) paying special attention to methodical aspects that are important for providing high-quality ecotoxicity data. Laboratories were supplied with the same original stock dispersion of AgNPs. All partners applied a harmonised procedure for storage and preparation of toxicity test suspensions. Altogether ten different toxicity assays with a range of environmentally relevant test species from different trophic levels were conducted in parallel to AgNP characterisation in the respective test media. The paper presents a comprehensive dataset of toxicity values and AgNP characteristics like hydrodynamic sizes of AgNP agglomerates and the share (%) of Ag⁺-species (the concentration of Ag⁺-species in relation to the total measured concentration of Ag). The studied AgNP preparation (20.4 ± 6.8 nm primary size, mean total Ag concentration 41.14 mg/L, 46–68% of soluble Ag⁺-species in stock, 123.8 ± 12.2 nm mean z-average value in dH₂O) showed extreme toxicity to crustaceans Daphnia magna, algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and zebrafish Danio rerio embryos (EC50 < 0.01 mg total Ag/L), was very toxic in the in vitro assay with rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss gut cells (EC50: 0.01–1 mg total Ag/L); toxic to bacteria Vibrio fischeri, protozoa Tetrahymena thermophila (EC50: 1–10 mg total Ag/L) and harmful to marine crustaceans Artemia franciscana (EC50: 10–100 mg total Ag/L). Along with AgNPs, also the toxicity of AgNO₃ was analyzed. The toxicity data revealed the same hazard ranking for AgNPs and AgNO₃ (i.e. the EC50 values were in the same order of magnitude) proving the importance of soluble Ag⁺-species analysis for predicting the hazard of AgNPs. The study clearly points to the need for harmonised procedures for the characterisation of NMs. Harmonised procedures should consider: (i) measuring the AgNP properties like hydrodynamic size and metal ions species in each toxicity test medium at a range of concentrations, and (ii) including soluble metal salt control both in toxicity testing as well as in Ag⁺-species measurements. The present study is among the first nanomaterial interlaboratory comparison studies with the aim to improve the hazard identification testing protocols.     

Modeling of agricultural drought risk pattern using Markov chain and GIS in the western part of Bangladesh

The aim of the study is to assess the agricultural drought risk condition in the context of global climate change in the western part of Bangladesh that covers about 45% area of the country for the period of 1960–2011. Drought Index (DI) and Drought Hazard Index (DHI) have been calculated by Markov Chain analysis and that of Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI) from socioeconomic and physical indicators. The DI values show that the northern part in general is more drought-prone, having less crops prospect, whereas the southern part is less drought-prone with high crop potentiality. The probability of extreme drought occurrence increases in recent decades in some parts as a result the drought events become more frequent in the areas. The DHI ranges from 15 to 32, and northern part suffers from more extreme drought hazards than that of southern part. DVI also indicates that northern part is exposed to high to very high drought vulnerability as higher percentage of illiterate people are involved in agricultural practices and high percentage of irrigation to cultivable land, but southern part exposed to moderate to low vulnerability because of low values of vulnerability indicators. Finally, agricultural drought exists at high risk condition in northern part and low in southern parts and 21.63, 26.54 and 29.68% of the area poses very high, high and moderate risk, respectively. So, immediate adaptation measures are needed keeping in mind climate features like rainfall and temperature variability, drought risk and risk ranking to make viable adaptation measures.     

Racial isolation and exposure to airborne particulate matter and ozone in understudied US populations: Environmental justice applications of downscaled numerical model output

BackgroundResearchers and policymakers are increasingly focused on combined exposures to social and environmental stressors, especially given how often these stressors tend to co-locate. Such exposures are equally relevant in urban and rural areas and may accrue disproportionately to particular communities or specific subpopulations.ObjectivesTo estimate relationships between racial isolation (RI), a measure of the extent to which minority racial/ethnic group members are exposed to only one another, and long-term particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of < 2.5 μ (PM_2.5) and ozone (O₃) levels in urban and nonurban areas of the eastern two-thirds of the US.MethodsLong-term (5 year average) census tract-level PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations were calculated using output from a downscaler model (2002–2006). The downscaler uses a linear regression with additive and multiplicative bias coefficients to relate ambient monitoring data with gridded output from the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. A local, spatial measure of RI was calculated at the tract level, and tracts were classified by urbanicity, RI, and geographic region. We examined differences in estimated pollutant exposures by RI, urbanicity, and demographic subgroup (e.g., race/ethnicity, education, socioeconomic status, age), and used linear models to estimate associations between RI and air pollution levels in urban, suburban, and rural tracts.ResultsHigh RI tracts (≥ 80th percentile) had higher average PM_2.5 levels in each category of urbanicity compared to low RI tracts (< 20th percentile), with the exception of the rural West. Patterns in O₃ levels by urbanicity and RI differed by region. Linear models indicated that PM_2.5 concentrations were significantly and positively associated with RI. The largest association between PM_2.5 and RI was observed in the rural Midwest, where a one quintile increase in RI was associated with a 0.90 μg/m³ (95% confidence interval: 0.83, 0.99 μg/m³) increase in PM_2.5 concentration. Associations between O₃ and RI in the Northeast, Midwest and West were positive and highest in suburban and rural tracts, even after controlling for potential confounders such as percentage in poverty.ConclusionRI is associated with higher 5 year estimated PM_2.5 concentrations in urban, suburban, and rural census tracts, adding to evidence that segregation is broadly associated with disparate air pollution exposures. Disproportionate burdens to adverse exposures such as air pollution may be a pathway to racial/ethnic disparities in health.     

中国污染场地分类管理程序与方法研究

借鉴发达国家对污染物场地的管理方法,探索了我国污染场地分类管理的程序:从疑似污染场地的申报建档、疑似污染场地的初步调查、场地的危害分级、污染场地的详细调查、污染场地风险评估,到污染场地的治理修复,以及贯穿场地管理始终的环境监测.在上述管理程序中还缺失危害分级的方法,其他步骤已有相关技术文件支持.本文进一步构建了其中场地危害分级的方法:即根据污染源是否存在,污染物的性质、赋存状态、迁移性、含量水平,周围是否有敏感目标及其类型,分成不同的危害级别和管理级别,并实施不同的管理措施.以江苏省八家氯丹、灭蚁灵生产企业场地为例,经初步调查和危害分级,将8个场地分为3类:B类场地(有1个场地)环境介质中无超标污染物检出,但场地上的有害废弃物需要处置;C类场地(包括3个场地)局部有超标污染物检出,但场地不具备详细调查采样和修复的条件,需要对污染区进行隔离处置,以降低人体健康风险;还有D类场地(包括4个场地)需要详细采样以确定污染范围并进行风险评估.根据最后一类4个场地进一步调查评估的结果,并考虑到场地实施修复的经费、技术可行性及场地相关利益方的意见,决定优先对其中1个场地实施修复治理.     

A new approach for calculating the relative risk level of pesticides

The following paper describes a new, easier to use approach to the calculation of relative risk levels of alternative pesticides. An insect, a plant disease, and a weed were selected for describing the application procedure of a new ranking method that is based on the intrinsic properties of pesticides rather than on the processes that occur both on land and in water after they are applied to soil. The approach is based on the Toxicity-Human health-Persistency (THP) Hazard Rating System, and a consumption factor is added to the method in order to calculate the environmental risk of pesticides. The available substitute pesticides are ranked in terms of their relative risk levels from lowest to highest in order of magnitude difference. Such a ranking method may be used as a practical quantitative tool to generate significant findings aiding in the selection of the most environmentally friendly substitute against a certain pest, especially in developing countries that still face the misuse and/or unconscious use of pesticides.     

Waste wood recycling as animal bedding and development of bio-monitoring tool using the CALUX assay

Animal bedding made of waste wood samples from seven different plants in Japan were chemically analyzed in terms of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/DFs), coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs), drin compounds, chlordane compounds and various inorganic toxic compounds (Cr, Cu, As, B, Cd and Pb) to investigate the chemical characteristics and levels of contamination. Further investigation was conducted to determine the success of applying the Chemically Activated Luciferase Expression (CALUX) bioassay to the waste wood samples in combination with a cleanup procedure for the detection of dioxin-like compounds in order to develop the CALUX bioassay as a rapid and cost-effective screening/monitoring method and a contributive tool to risk management in the waste wood recycling process. For the cleanup procedure, crude extracts from wood samples were prepared by dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)/n-hexane extraction, and then the extracts were processed by silica gel-44% sulfuric acid reflux treatment at 70 degrees C for 60 min to yield the bioassay fractions. The presence of POPs and inorganic toxic compounds were confirmed in most of the litter samples. In particular, Co-PCBs in one sample (litter dust) showed a high concentration level (1200000 pg/g, 240 pg TEQ/g), suggesting the potential for contamination from demolition waste. The CALUX assay-determined TEQs (CALUX-TEQs) were significantly high in the sample after DMSO/n-hexane extraction, probably due to labile aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands such as PAHs; however, they were remarkably reduced through a single silica gel-44% sulfuric acid reflux treatment. The ratio between CALUX-TEQ values and WHO toxicity equivalent values (WHO-TEQ) obtained by congener-specific chemical analysis ranged from 0.058 to 22 and show comparatively good agreement. Underestimation in some samples, however, was observed where WHO-TEQ values of Co-PCBs contributed greatly to total WHO-TEQ values. Reasons for this gap could be lower CALUX assay-determined relative potencies (REPs) than the WHO-TEFs for these congeners or AhR-antagonistic effects of non dioxin-like PCBs which coexist at higher concentration than Co-PCBs. The CALUX assay is proposed as a promising application in the recycling process of wooden materials.     

紫色土坡地泥沙养分与泥沙流失的耦合特征

通过人工降雨模拟试验,研究紫色土坡地泥沙全氮、全磷与泥沙三者流失的耦合特征及其受降雨和地形的影响。结果表明,泥沙全氮流失量随坡度及雨强的增加而减小,而全磷的流失量受雨强及坡度的影响均较小;相关性分析表明泥沙流失量愈大,全氮流失量愈小,而全磷愈大。全氮与泥沙流失随降雨时间而呈峰值特征,而全磷随时间变化较小。泥沙养分流失量的累积过程与泥沙累积过程一致,随泥沙累积量的增加而增加,且全氮流失累积量明显低于全磷流失累积量;坡地泥沙流失养分的富集比具差异性,即泥沙流失量愈大,氮富集比越低,磷富集比越高。分析坡地泥沙流失养分的富集比,可知全磷与泥沙的耦合稳定性较全氮高,更易呈现影响下游水质的滞后效应。     

PestScreen: a screening approach for scoring and ranking pesticides by their environmental and toxicological concern

A chemical ranking and scoring method entitled PestScreen has been developed as a screening tool to provide a relative assessment of pesticide hazards to human health and the environment. The method was developed to serve as an analytical tool in screening and identification of pesticides of environmental concern used in agriculture. PestScreen incorporates both the toxic effects of pesticides and their fate and exposure characteristics in different compartments of the environment. This is done by combining measures of chemical toxicity pertaining to both human health and the environment with chemical release amounts and information on overall environmental persistence, long-range transport potential and human population intake fractions. Each hazard measure is scored and weighted and finally combined with the pesticide application dose to provide a single final indicator of relative concern (PestScore). Results for 217 pesticides are presented and the practical implementation is illustrated on behalf of three practical case studies.     

Assessment of surface area normalisation for interpreting distribution coefficients (Kd) for uranium sorption

Adsorption of radionuclides on soils and sediments is commonly quantified by distribution coefficients (K_d values). This paper examines the relationship between K_d values for uranium(VI) adsorption and the specific surface area (SSA) of geologic materials. We then investigate the potential applicability of normalising uranium (U) K_d measurements using the SSA, to produce ‘K_a values’ as a generic expression of the affinity of U for the surface. The data for U provide a reasonably coherent set of K_a values on various solid phases, both with and without ligands. The K_a representation provides a way of harmonising datasets obtained for materials having different specific surface areas, and accounting for the effects of ligands in different systems. In addition, this representation may assist in developing U sorption models for complex materials. However, a significant limitation of the K_a concept is that sorption of radionuclides at trace levels can be dominated by interactions with specific surface sites, whose abundances are not reflected by the SSA. Therefore, calculated K_a values should be interpreted cautiously.     

Elevation change and the vulnerability of Rhode Island (USA) salt marshes to sea-level rise

Salt marshes persist within the intertidal zone when marsh elevation gains are commensurate with rates of sea-level rise (SLR). Monitoring changes in marsh elevation in concert with tidal water levels is therefore an effective way to determine if salt marshes are keeping pace with SLR over time. Surface elevation tables (SETs) are a common method for collecting precise data on marsh elevation change. Southern New England is a hot spot for SLR, but few SET elevation change datasets are available for the region. Our study synthesizes elevation change data collected from 1999 to 2015 from a network of SET stations throughout Rhode Island (RI). These data are compared to accretion and water level data from the same time period to estimate shallow subsidence and determine whether marshes are tracking SLR. Salt marsh elevation increased at a mean overall rate of 1.40 mm year^?1 and ranged from ?0.33 to 3.36 mm year^?1 at individual stations. Shallow subsidence dampened elevation gain in mid-Narragansett Bay marshes, but in other areas of coastal RI, subsurface processes may augment surface accretion. In all cases, marsh elevation gain was exceeded by the 5.26 mm year^?1 rate of increase in sea levels during the study period. Our study provides the first SET elevation change data from RI and shows that most RI marshes are not keeping pace with short- or long-term rates of SLR. It also lends support to previous research that implicates SLR as a primary driver of recent changes to southern New England salt marshes.     

Integrating affective values to sustainable behaviour focused on Kansei engineering

Due to the changes and complications of emerging society, designers are required not only to know about their design values, but also understand the link between their design and the impacts on the users. This paper aims to show a Kansei focused proposition for sustainable behaviour. By investigating the relationship between Subjective Preference (Like-Dislike) and product evaluation, it shows how affective values, which are used in Kansei engineering researches, influence user’s preferences. In this study, it was considering (1) various factors of product (e.g. the view variation and blackness of products), and (2) Reality Sets (Uninominal–Binominal). Car-front-face, car-side, car-multi-aspect (as Uninominal Reality Sets) and combinations of car front and side (as Binominal Reality Sets) were used as stimuli. The experiment consists of item screening and product evaluation. Subjects were participated in both. The aim of item screening was at selecting subjectively preferred/non-preferred images. Images, which were screened through item screening, were reconciliated per subject. The aim of product evaluation was at investigating if Subjective Preference has related to product evaluation. Semantic Differential method was used as product evaluation method. Evaluation values were preference, aesthetic and pleasure. The findings shows: (1) Subjective Preference is related to product evaluation independently in Uninominal Reality Sets, whereas Subjective Preference is related to product evaluation dependently in Binominal Reality Sets (2) partial preferred images influence product evaluation in Uninominal Reality Sets, whereas Binominal Reality Sets do not influence it.     

Derivation of a screening methodology for evaluating radiation dose to aquatic and terrestrial biota

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) currently has in place a radiation dose standard for the protection of aquatic animals, and is considering additional dose standards for terrestrial biota. These standards are: 10 mGy/d for aquatic animals, 10 mGy/d for terrestrial plants, and, 1 mGy/d for terrestrial animals. Guidance on suitable approaches to the implementation of these standards is needed. A screening methodology, developed through DOE's Biota Dose Assessment Committee (BDAC), serves as the principal element of DOE's graded approach for evaluating radiation doses to aquatic and terrestrial biota. Limiting concentrations of radionuclides in water, soil, and sediment were derived for 23 radionuclides. Four organism types (aquatic animals; riparian animals; terrestrial animals; and terrestrial plants) were selected as the basis for development of the screening method. Internal doses for each organism type were calculated as the product of contaminant concentration, bioaccumulation factor(s) and dose conversion factors. External doses were calculated based on the assumption of immersion of the organism in soil, sediment, or water. The assumptions and default parameters used provide for conservative screening values. The screening methodology within DOE's graded approach should prove useful in demonstrating compliance with biota dose limits and for conducting screening assessments of radioecological impact. It provides a needed evaluation tool that can be employed within a framework for protection of the environment.     

Comparison of distribution coefficients for americium and curium: Effects of pH and naturally occurring colloids

Distribution coefficients (K_D) were measured by a batch technique for sorption of americium-243 and curium-244 to Lake Michigan sediment from four different natural surface waters. The dependences of K_D values on pH and on the concentrations of naturally occurring colloidal organic carbon (COC) were studied. The comparison of K_D values showed that, while changes in pH and in COC concentrations cause significant changes in sorption for both americium and curium, neither variable causes a significant difference in sorption between these two elements.     

A rapid isotope ratio analysis protocol for nuclear solid materials using nano-second laser-ablation time-of-flight ICP-MS

The analysis of the isotopic composition of nuclear or non-nuclear solid materials is performed in a variety of fields, e.g., for quality assurance in the production of nuclear fuels, as signatures in forensics, nuclear safeguards, and non-proliferation control, in material characterization, geology, and archeology. We have investigated the capability of laser ablation (New Wave Research, 213 nm) coupled to time-of-flight (TOF) ICP-MS (GBC OptiMass 8000) as a rapid analytical protocol for multi-isotope screening of nuclear and non-nuclear solid samples. This includes natural and non-natural isotopic compositions for elements including Cu, Zr, Mo, Cd, In, Ba, Ta, W, Re, Pt, Pb, and U, in pure metals, alloys, and glasses. Without correcting for mass bias (mass fractionation), an overall precision and accuracy of about 4% (1σ) can be achieved by minimizing the deposited laser power and thus fractionation (mass removal based on thermal properties). The precision and accuracy in combination with literally no or minimized sample preparation enables a rapid isotope screening of solid samples that is of particular interest to support nuclear forensic and safeguard analysis.     

Dose assessment for marine biota and humans from discharge of (131)I to the marine environment and uptake by algae in Sydney, Australia

Iodine-131 reaches the marine environment through its excretion to the sewer by nuclear medicine patients followed by discharge through coastal and deepwater outfalls. ¹³¹I has been detected in macroalgae, which bio-accumulate iodine, growing near the coastal outfall of Cronulla sewage treatment plant (STP) since 1995. During this study, ¹³¹I levels in liquid effluent and sludge from three Sydney STPs as well as in macroalgae (Ulva sp. and Ecklonia radiata) growing near their shoreline outfalls were measured. Concentration factors of 176 for Ulva sp. and 526 for E. radiata were derived. Radiation dose rates to marine biota from ¹³¹I discharged to coastal waters calculated using the ERICA dose assessment tool were below the ERICA screening level of 10 μGy/hr. Radiation dose rates to humans from immersion in seawater or consumption of Ulva sp. containing ¹³¹I were three and two orders of magnitude below the IAEA screening level of 10 μSv/year, respectively.