and secondly to interaction of dissolved Cs with the bottom sediments (Polikarpov
1987; Kulebakina et al. 1988; Kulebakina and Polikarpov 1989).
The natural nuclides members of uranium 238 and thorium 232 also enter the
environment be several pathways and are also accumulated in biota.
So it is necessary to assess scientifically the impacts of discharges on humans
and to identify the most important critical ‘pathways’ or ‘groups’ and the risks
involved also attempt to consider multiple exposure routes. It can indeed be argued
that radioactive pollution control is more successful in producing a mature methodology which is unifying in respect of all radioactive substances and there are only
a few cases where conventional pollutants are successfully ranked against each
other – such as in considering their relative importance as ‘greenhouse’ gases or the
relative toxicity of certain similar organic compounds. However, in conventional
pollution control, one further step is taken after risk assessment, one which is absent
from radioactive pollution control – namely, the information generated in the
earlier stages is used to produce ‘environmental quality standards’ against which
absolute concentrations, trends and the effectiveness of pollution control at source
can be clearly measured. Thus, if instead of considering, e.g. plutonium or technetium in units of ‘concentration’, we consider them as contributors to the overall
‘dose’, we cease to treat them as ‘substances’ in their own right and simultaneously
regard the world as a ‘brown-field site’ already ‘contaminated’. However, ecological toxicology (ecotoxicology) is required for predicting real world effects and for
site-specific assessments. Ecotoxicology and ecology have shown similar developmental patterns over time; closer cooperation between ecologists and toxicologists
would benefit both disciplines. Ecology can be incorporated into toxicology either
extrinsically (separately, e.g., providing information on pre-selected test species) or
intrinsically (e.g., as part of test species selection) – the latter is preferable. General
guidelines for acute and chronic testing and criteria for species selection differ for
ecotoxicology and environmental toxicology, and are outlined.
Radionuclides are a part of anthropogenic pollutants in the Black sea marine
ecosystems. Massive amounts of industrial effluents are transported by the big
rivers that enter the Black sea (Danube, Dnyeper, Dnester etc.). The change in
the radiation situation in the Black Sea after the Chernobyl accident stimulated
multiple studies of radionuclide accumulation processes in biota as the Black sea
received a great amount of radionuclides, due to its geographical position. The
complex analysis of pollutants is a major task for modern ecology in obtaining
reliable information about the type and quantities of substances entering the marine
environment. The analysis of environmental matrixes, such as water/sediments/
algae, provides a picture of the total contaminant load in a given ecosystem.
The contamination of Black sea littoral zone is a powerful factor affecting the
phytobentos dynamics. The technogenic and natural nuclide releases due to human
activities in the marine ecosystems lead to a change in contaminant content and
may affect the composition of species in the marine environment (Bologa et al.
1996; Guven et al. 1993). The complex analysis of pollutant concentrations in the
marine environment gives reliable information for the types and quantities of
contaminants that enter the hydrosphere. The change in the radiation situation of
18 Radioecology of the Black Sea
299
1987; Kulebakina et al. 1988; Kulebakina and Polikarpov 1989).
The natural nuclides members of uranium 238 and thorium 232 also enter the
environment be several pathways and are also accumulated in biota.
So it is necessary to assess scientifically the impacts of discharges on humans
and to identify the most important critical ‘pathways’ or ‘groups’ and the risks
involved also attempt to consider multiple exposure routes. It can indeed be argued
that radioactive pollution control is more successful in producing a mature methodology which is unifying in respect of all radioactive substances and there are only
a few cases where conventional pollutants are successfully ranked against each
other – such as in considering their relative importance as ‘greenhouse’ gases or the
relative toxicity of certain similar organic compounds. However, in conventional
pollution control, one further step is taken after risk assessment, one which is absent
from radioactive pollution control – namely, the information generated in the
earlier stages is used to produce ‘environmental quality standards’ against which
absolute concentrations, trends and the effectiveness of pollution control at source
can be clearly measured. Thus, if instead of considering, e.g. plutonium or technetium in units of ‘concentration’, we consider them as contributors to the overall
‘dose’, we cease to treat them as ‘substances’ in their own right and simultaneously
regard the world as a ‘brown-field site’ already ‘contaminated’. However, ecological toxicology (ecotoxicology) is required for predicting real world effects and for
site-specific assessments. Ecotoxicology and ecology have shown similar developmental patterns over time; closer cooperation between ecologists and toxicologists
would benefit both disciplines. Ecology can be incorporated into toxicology either
extrinsically (separately, e.g., providing information on pre-selected test species) or
intrinsically (e.g., as part of test species selection) – the latter is preferable. General
guidelines for acute and chronic testing and criteria for species selection differ for
ecotoxicology and environmental toxicology, and are outlined.
Radionuclides are a part of anthropogenic pollutants in the Black sea marine
ecosystems. Massive amounts of industrial effluents are transported by the big
rivers that enter the Black sea (Danube, Dnyeper, Dnester etc.). The change in
the radiation situation in the Black Sea after the Chernobyl accident stimulated
multiple studies of radionuclide accumulation processes in biota as the Black sea
received a great amount of radionuclides, due to its geographical position. The
complex analysis of pollutants is a major task for modern ecology in obtaining
reliable information about the type and quantities of substances entering the marine
environment. The analysis of environmental matrixes, such as water/sediments/
algae, provides a picture of the total contaminant load in a given ecosystem.
The contamination of Black sea littoral zone is a powerful factor affecting the
phytobentos dynamics. The technogenic and natural nuclide releases due to human
activities in the marine ecosystems lead to a change in contaminant content and
may affect the composition of species in the marine environment (Bologa et al.
1996; Guven et al. 1993). The complex analysis of pollutant concentrations in the
marine environment gives reliable information for the types and quantities of
contaminants that enter the hydrosphere. The change in the radiation situation of
18 Radioecology of the Black Sea
299