120 TRANSURANIC ELEMENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT 



Summary 



Since the dose rates received by aquatic organisms as a result of exposure to transuranics 

 are comparable to those received from natural radionucUdes, even in known contami- 

 nated areas, it is apparent that there are few experimental field studies that reasonably 

 could be conducted which would determine whether radiological effects are occurring in 

 the environment as a result of present levels of radionuclides. The comparisons drawn 

 here between the estimated doses from plutonium and americium on the one hand and 

 naturally occurring polonium on the otlier would be more accentuated if the total dose 

 rates from all natural radionuclides were computed. 



Consideration of some of the mechanisms of recruitment to exploited fish 

 populations would suggest that any effects as a result of chronic exposure to low-level 

 ionizing radiations would probably be compensated for by density-dependent responses 

 in higliJy fecund species. Effects due to radiation therefore would not likely be 

 distinguishable from those due to natural fluctuations in aquatic populations. Although 

 httle quantitative genetic information is available for aquatic populations, it is unlikely, 

 on the basis of predicted mutation rates, that significant deleterious genetic effects due to 

 radiation at the low levels present in the environment today would be produced in 

 aquatic populations. 



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