16.3.10 Radioecological Effects of Chronic Ionizing
Radiation Dose Rate from Alpha–Radiation of
239,240
Pu on Hydrobionts
The Polikarpov’s conceptual model of ecological zones, radioecological effects of
chronic ionizing radiation dose rate levels was originally proposed for ecological
risk assessment of ionising radiation (Polikarpov 1998; Tereshchenko and
Polikarpov 2007; Polikarpov et al. 2008). This model categorises responses of
organisms, populations and ecosystems to all the existing and possible dose rates
in the environment as follows:
1. the “Uncertainty zone” – (below the lowest natural ionising radiation background level),
2. the radiation “Well-being zone” (natural ionising radiation background range),
3. the “Physiological masking zone” (0.005–0.1 Sv∙year
À1 ),
4. the “Ecological masking zone” (0.1–4 Sv∙year
À1 ),
5. the “Zone of damage to communities/ecosystems” (>>4 Sv∙year
À1 ),
6. the “Zone of lethality to the whole biosphere (>>M Sv∙year
À1 ) (Polikarpov
1998; Polikarpov et al. 2008).
Fig. 16.8 The level of
equivalent doses rate of the
239þ240 Pu for the Black Sea
hydrobionts of different
trophic levels
266
N.N. Tereshchenko