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Martin-Pozas T, Cuezva S, Fernandez-Cortes A, Benavente D, Saiz-Jimenez C, Sanchez-Moral S. Prokaryotic communities inhabiting a high-radon subterranean ecosystem (Castañar Cave, Spain): Environmental and substrate-driven controls. Microbiol Res 2023; 277:127511. [PMID: 37852679 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Castañar Cave (Caceres, Spain) is a unique show cave known for its high natural radiation levels. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of its prokaryotic diversity, specifically focusing on investigating the influence of environmental conditions and substrate characteristics on the prokaryotic community structure in the cave sediments. Additionally, the research aims to evaluate the potential impact of human activities on the cave ecosystem. The identification of distinct bioclimatic zones within the cave was made possible through a combination of environmental and microbial monitoring (ATP assays). The results reveal sediment texture as a significant factor, notably affecting the structure, diversity, and phylogenetic variability of the microbial community, including both Bacteria and Archaea. The proportion of clay minerals in sediments plays a crucial role in regulating moisture levels and nutrient availability. These substrate properties collectively exert a significant selective pressure on the structure of prokaryotic communities within cave sediments. The molecular approach shows that heterotrophic bacteria, including those with chitinolytic enzymes, primarily inhabit the cave. Furthermore, chemoautotrophic nitrifiers such as the archaea Nitrososphaeria and the genus Nitrospira, as well as methanotrophic bacteria from the phyla Methylomirabilota, Pseudomonadota, and Verrucomicrobiota, are also present. Remarkably, despite being a show cave, the cave microbiota displays minimal impacts from human activities and the surface ecosystem. Prokaryotic populations exhibit stability in the innermost areas, while the tourist trail area experiences slightly higher biomass increases due to visitor traffic. This suggests that conservation efforts have successfully limited the entry of external nutrients into the innermost cave areas. Additionally, the results suggest that integrating biomarkers like ATP into environmental monitoring can significantly enhance the methods used to study the negative impacts of tourism on cave ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Martin-Pozas
- Department of Geology, National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), 28006 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Soledad Cuezva
- Department of Geology, Geography and Environment, University of Alcala, 28805 Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - David Benavente
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Alicante, Campus San Vicente del Raspeig, 03690 Alicante, Spain.
| | - Cesareo Saiz-Jimenez
- Department of Agrochemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Soil and Water Protection, Institute of Natural Resources and Agricultural Biology (IRNAS-CSIC), 41012 Seville, Spain.
| | - Sergio Sanchez-Moral
- Department of Geology, National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), 28006 Madrid, Spain.
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da Costa Xavier LA, Navoni JA, Souza do Amaral V. Oxidative genomic damage in humans exposed to high indoor radon levels in Northeast Brazil. Mutat Res Genet Toxicol Environ Mutagen 2023; 889:503652. [PMID: 37491111 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrgentox.2023.503652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Radon gas inhalation is the main source of exposure to ionizing radiation by humans. There is still lack in knowledge concerning the chronic and indirect effects of exposure to this carcinogenic factor. Therefore, the aim of this work is to analyze the levels of oxidative genomic damage in inhabitants of a medium-high background radiation area (HBRA) (N = 82) in Northeastern Brazil and compare them with people living in a low background radiation area (LBRA) (N = 46). 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was quantified in urine, Ser326Cys polymorphism was determined in the hOGG1 gene and indoor radon was measured. HBRA houses had 6.5 times higher indoor radon levels than those from LBRA (p-value < 0.001). The 8-OHdG mean (95% confidence interval) were significantly different, 8.42 (5.98-11.9) ng/mg creatinine and 29.91 (23.37-38.30) ng/mg creatinine for LBRA and HBRA, respectively. The variables representing lifestyle and environmental and occupational exposures did not have a significant association with oxidized guanosine concentrations. On the other hand, lower 8-OHdG values were observed in subjects that had one mutant allele (326Cys) in the hOGG1 gene than those who had both wild alleles (Ser/Ser (p-value < 0.05). It can be concluded that high radon levels have significantly influenced the genome oxidative metabolism and hOGG1 gene polymorphism would mediate the observed biological response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luíza Araújo da Costa Xavier
- Post-graduation Program of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Toxicological Genetic, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Julio Alejandro Navoni
- Post-graduation Program of Development and Environment - DDMA, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Viviane Souza do Amaral
- Post-graduation Program of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Toxicological Genetic, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; Post-graduation Program of Development and Environment - DDMA, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal/RN, Brazil..
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Li X, Zhang Q, Tan H, Tan W, Cheng Z, Ge L, Shi Z, Zeng G, Gu Y, Zhang J, Dong C, Wang M. Research of nuclide identification method based on background comparison method. Appl Radiat Isot 2023; 192:110596. [PMID: 36549179 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Radioactive material inspection in public is important to nuclear safety, and it is also the key security for holding large-scale events, while fast and efficient means of detecting radioactive materials are an important technical guarantee for nuclear safety. In this paper, energy and time distribution characteristics information of the natural background and target nuclide gamma particles are used to improve the sequential background comparison method. By using those energy and time distribution characteristics information, with the half-life and characteristic gamma-ray energy and branching ratio information of the nuclide, the response time and the identification accuracy of extremely low radioactive nuclides detected under natural-radiation background can be improved. Based on the theoretical research, the particle event acquisition device with the LaBr3(Ce) detector was used to carry out the experimental verification, and the results show that, this method can identify 137Cs (characteristic energy of 0.662 MeV,8700 Bq,the position relative to the detector is 30 cm) in 6.2 s, and identify 60Co (characteristic energy of 1.173 MeV and 1.332 MeV, 4500 Bq, the position relative to the detector is 15 cm) in 5.9 s. Experiments prove that the improved background comparison-based sequential Bayesian method can identify low radioactivity radionuclides under natural-radiation background rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhe Li
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China; Applied Nuclear Technologyin Geosciences Key Laboratoryof Sichuan Province (Chengdu University of Technology), ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China.
| | - Qingxian Zhang
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China; Applied Nuclear Technologyin Geosciences Key Laboratoryof Sichuan Province (Chengdu University of Technology), ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Heyi Tan
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Wei Tan
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Zhiqiang Cheng
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Liangquan Ge
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China; Applied Nuclear Technologyin Geosciences Key Laboratoryof Sichuan Province (Chengdu University of Technology), ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Zeming Shi
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China; Applied Nuclear Technologyin Geosciences Key Laboratoryof Sichuan Province (Chengdu University of Technology), ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Guoqiang Zeng
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China; Applied Nuclear Technologyin Geosciences Key Laboratoryof Sichuan Province (Chengdu University of Technology), ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Yi Gu
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China; Applied Nuclear Technologyin Geosciences Key Laboratoryof Sichuan Province (Chengdu University of Technology), ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Chunhui Dong
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China; Applied Nuclear Technologyin Geosciences Key Laboratoryof Sichuan Province (Chengdu University of Technology), ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Chengdu University of Technology, The College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China; Applied Nuclear Technologyin Geosciences Key Laboratoryof Sichuan Province (Chengdu University of Technology), ChengDu, Sichuan, 610059, China
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da Costa Dantas R, Navoni JA, de Alencar FLS, da Costa Xavier LA, do Amaral VS. Natural radioactivity in Brazil: a systematic review. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2020; 27:143-157. [PMID: 31832968 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06962-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Natural radioactivity is a public health concern worldwide. Its deleterious effects are largely associated with emitting ionizing particles which generate innumerable toxicological consequences to human being. The present study aimed to describe the research state of the art on natural radioactivity in Brazil through a systematic review limited to articles published in the twenty-first century in the PubMed, SciELO, Lilacs, and Google Scholar databases. A total of 55 research articles were considered for this purpose. Based on the collected sample types, the radiation analysis in most of the scientific reports was performed on solid samples (soil/sediment/rocks), followed by water and air. In fact, most of the available information came from geological studies. A wide range of concentrations and a variety of radionuclides have been assessed, with radium being the most cited. Most of the studies described radiation levels above the international guidelines, and consider the Brazilian territory as a high natural background radiation region (HNBR). In comparison with other HNBR areas, the scientific information about the related risks to human health is still scarce. There is uncertainty about the real impact of natural radioactivity on human health, as there is a lack of scientific information for most of the country about this issue. The analysis and comparison of the available information highlights the potential risks linked to natural radioactivity and the need to incorporate suitable environmental management policies about this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richelly da Costa Dantas
- Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia (RENORBIO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Julio Alejandro Navoni
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente (PRODEMA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
- Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN), Programa de Pós-graduação em Uso Sustentavel de Recursos Naturais (PPgUSRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Feliphe Lacerda Souza de Alencar
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente (PRODEMA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Laboratório de Genética Toxicológica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Sen. Salgado Filho, Lagoa Nova Natal, RN, CEP 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Luíza Araújo da Costa Xavier
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Laboratório de Genética Toxicológica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Sen. Salgado Filho, Lagoa Nova Natal, RN, CEP 59078-970, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Viviane Souza do Amaral
- Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia (RENORBIO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente (PRODEMA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Laboratório de Genética Toxicológica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Sen. Salgado Filho, Lagoa Nova Natal, RN, CEP 59078-970, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
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Yoshida M, Yanuaryska RD, Shantiningsih RR, Mudjosemedi M, Honda E. Comparison of radiation risk perception and knowledge of radiation between Indonesian and Japanese dental students. J Environ Radioact 2019; 204:104-110. [PMID: 31002972 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to obtain basic data to identify problems in radiation education in a situation where confidence in nuclear power has fluctuated over time and fear of nuclear power has increased globally due to nuclear power plant disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima. We conducted a questionnaire survey on understanding and risk perception of radiation and atomic power, before and after lectures, for 107 Japanese and 137 Indonesian dental students. Thirty-six phrases were extracted from two supplementary texts about radiation created by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and 30 events commonly used in research on risk perception were used. The students were asked to rate their level of understanding of 36 phrases and risk perception of 30 events. Moreover, the students were asked to answer 6 general questions about radiation. For Japanese students, understanding of radiation increased and risk perception for both nuclear power and X-rays decreased after lectures (p < 0.05). Concerning nuclear power, the risk-value declined as the level of understanding increased (p < 0.01). However, for Indonesian students, who had lectures on only radiation excluding nuclear power in dental radiology, risk perception increased for X-ray after lectures (p < 0.05). This indicates that thought and custom, in the absence of knowledge, are influenced by lectures. In general, it is said that increase in knowledge will lower risk perception, but even if radiation education is imparted, risk perception may rise if the lectures are not understood properly. It was concluded that educators need to incorporate sufficient knowledge in their teachings, and correct thinking, to mitigate the risk of future radiation education giving the opposite of the intended effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Midori Yoshida
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Tokushima University Graduate School, Japan.
| | - Ryna Dwi Yanuaryska
- Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia.
| | - Rurie Ratna Shantiningsih
- Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia.
| | - Munakhir Mudjosemedi
- Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia.
| | - Eiichi Honda
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Tokushima University Graduate School, Japan.
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6
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Cinelli G, Tollefsen T, Bossew P, Gruber V, Bogucarskis K, De Felice L, De Cort M. Digital version of the European Atlas of natural radiation. J Environ Radioact 2019; 196:240-252. [PMID: 29496295 PMCID: PMC6290173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The European Atlas of Natural Radiation is a collection of maps displaying the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources. It has been developed and is being maintained by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, in line with its mission, based on the Euratom Treaty: to collect, validate and report information on radioactivity levels in the environment of the EU Member States. This work describes the first version of the European Atlas of Natural Radiation, available in digital format through a web portal, as well as the methodology and results for the maps already developed. So far the digital Atlas contains: an annual cosmic-ray dose map; a map of indoor radon concentration; maps of uranium, thorium and potassium concentration in soil and in bedrock; a terrestrial gamma dose rate map; and a map of soil permeability. Through these maps, the public will be able to: familiarize itself with natural environmental radioactivity; be informed about the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources; have a more balanced view of the annual dose received by the European population, to which natural radioactivity is the largest contributor; and make direct comparisons between doses from natural sources of ionizing radiation and those from man-made (artificial) ones, hence, to better assess the latter. Work will continue on the European Geogenic Radon Map and on estimating the annual dose that the public may receive from natural radioactivity, by combining all the information from the different maps. More maps could be added to the Atlas, such us radon in outdoor air and in water and concentration of radionuclides in water, even if these sources usually contribute less to the total exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Cinelli
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Nuclear Safety & Security, Ispra, Italy.
| | - Tore Tollefsen
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Nuclear Safety & Security, Ispra, Italy
| | - Peter Bossew
- German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Berlin, Germany
| | - Valeria Gruber
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Linz, Austria
| | - Konstantins Bogucarskis
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Nuclear Safety & Security, Ispra, Italy
| | - Luca De Felice
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Nuclear Safety & Security, Ispra, Italy
| | - Marc De Cort
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Nuclear Safety & Security, Ispra, Italy
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7
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Orabi M. Studying factors affecting the indoor gamma radiation dose using the MCNP5 simulation software. J Environ Radioact 2016; 165:54-59. [PMID: 27627576 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Different factors and parameters affecting the indoor gamma radiation dose are considered and investigated. The change of the dose with different positions inside the room is discussed. The relative doses are also calculated for different changes; with different room dimensions, different wall thicknesses, and different building material densities. Some other factors are also discussed. The study is carried out by executing some models designed by the MCNP version 5 simulation software. The calculations of the dose rates are performed by adopting a simple and convenient calculation model which is based on the obtained relative changes of the dose rates with the different factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Orabi
- Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
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Chaves LCC, Navoni JA, de Morais Ferreira D, Batistuzzo de Medeiros S, Ferreira da Costa T, Petta RA, Souza do Amaral V. Water mutagenic potential assessment on a semiarid aquatic ecosystem under influence of heavy metals and natural radioactivity using micronuclei test. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2016; 23:7572-7581. [PMID: 26732704 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5993-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The contamination of water bodies by heavy metals and ionizing radiation is a critical environmental issue, which can affect water quality and, thus, human health. This study aimed to evaluate the water quality of the Boqueirão de Parelhas Dam in the Brazilian semiarid region. A 1-year study (2013-2014) was performed through the assessment of physicochemical parameters, heavy metal content, and radioactivity along with the mutagenicity potential of water using micronuclei test in Orechromis niloticus (in vivo) and the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay in human lymphocytes (in vitro). A deterioration of water organoleptics characteristics by the presence of high levels of sulfate and total solids was observed. High concentrations of aluminum, nickel, silver, and lead along with the alpha particle content were higher than the limits suggested by the World Health Organization and Brazilian legislation for drinking water. An increase in the frequency of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities was observed in both experimental models. The results obtained confirmed the mutagenic potential present in water samples. This study highlights that geogenic agents affect water quality becoming a human health concern to be taken into account due to the relevance that this water reservoir has in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Cláudio Cardozo Chaves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Sen. Salgado Filho 3000, 59078-970, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Julio Alejandro Navoni
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Sen. Salgado Filho 3000, 59078-970, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Douglisnilson de Morais Ferreira
- Núcleo de Análises de águas, alimentos e efluentes, Instituto Federal de Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN), Natal, Brazil
| | - Silvia Batistuzzo de Medeiros
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Sen. Salgado Filho 3000, 59078-970, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Thomas Ferreira da Costa
- Laboratório de Radioatividade Natural (LARANA), Departamento de Geologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Reinaldo Antônio Petta
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Sen. Salgado Filho 3000, 59078-970, Natal, RN, Brazil
- Laboratório de Geomática e Ciências Ambientais (LAGEOMA), Departamento de Geologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Viviane Souza do Amaral
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Sen. Salgado Filho 3000, 59078-970, Natal, RN, Brazil.
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Perko T. Radiation risk perception: a discrepancy between the experts and the general population. J Environ Radioact 2014; 133:86-91. [PMID: 23683940 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2012] [Revised: 04/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/13/2013] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Determining the differences in the perception of risks between experts who are regularly exposed to radiation, and lay people provides important insights into how potential hazards may be effectively communicated to the public. In the present study we examined lay people's (N = 1020) and experts' (N = 332) perception of five different radiological risks: nuclear waste, medical x-rays, natural radiation, an accident at a nuclear installation in general, and the Fukushima accident in particular. In order to link risk perception with risk communication, media reporting about radiation risks is analysed using quantitative and qualitative content analyses. The results showed that experts perceive radiological risks differently from the general public. Experts' perception of medical X-rays and natural radiation is significantly higher than in general population, while for nuclear waste and an accident at a nuclear installation, experts have lower risk perception than the general population. In-depth research is conducted for a group of workers that received an effective dose higher than 0.5 mSv in the year before the study; for this group we identify predictors of risk perception. The results clearly show that mass media don't use the same language as technical experts in addressing radiological risks. The study demonstrates that the discrepancy in risk perception and the communication gap between the experts and the general population presents a big challenge in understanding each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Perko
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium.
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Mortazavi SMJ, Mozdarani H. PSA, CA19-9 and CEA tumor markers in blood serum of inhabitants of Ramsar, Iran, Heidary et al., Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. J Environ Radioact 2014; 132:121-122. [PMID: 24629376 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S M J Mortazavi
- Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation Protection Research Center (INIRPRC), Medical Physics & Medical Engineering Department, School of Medicine, Imam Hossein Square, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - H Mozdarani
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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