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Environmental Science - Ecosystem Assessments   Environmental protection from the effects of ionising radiation was, in the past, based around the principle that if radiological discharges are controlled to levels where man is protected, all other species will be adequately protected. However, this assumption is no longer supported. The Environment Agency is now required as part of European legislation to determine whether authorised releases of radioactivity are likely to have an effect on Natura 2000 sites, a European network of protected conservation sites established under the Habitats and Birds Directives.   We have conducted applied research to address this problem, being an integral part in the development of a comprehensive framework for the assessment of doses to biota at both national (Environment Agency) and international (EU FASSET and ERICA) levels.   Our expert knowledge of radionuclide transfers in the environment, combined with our dosimetry, modelling and biological expertise, make us uniquely placed to offer a holistic package for the assessment of environmental impacts. Through our involvement in national and international projects, we have therefore been able to devise methodology standards and, thus, to influence future legislation.   Our track record   Under contract to the Environment Agency, we have developed a dose per unit concentration database for application to ecosystem assessments, and a spreadsheet-based tool containing a complete and readily applicable method capable of being used to calculate realistic radiation doses to reference organisms and analogue species. At an international level, we have participated actively in the EC 5th Framework Programme project FASSET, contributing our expertise in the areas of biota dosimetry, radioecology and radiation effects. We are currently involved in the EC 6th Framework ERICA program, successor to FASSET, participating in the development of a holistic, stand-alone environmental assessment tool for assessors. There is broad agreement to base this development around the spreadsheet-based codes produced by us, adapted to the FASSET framework. Additionally, within ERICA we are working on the coding of transfer models and, along with Liverpool University and CEH, are conducting a case study that will initially test the FASSET framework on both the Drigg Coast Natura 2000 site and agricultural systems in the area around the BNFL Sellafield site. A good track record of conferences and peer-reviewed scientific publications has been developed over the years.   Customer services We are key players in the development of methodologies for the assessment of doses to biota from radioactive discharges, having developed the necessary software tools and expert knowledge. As specialists on this field, we have already successfully carried out ecosystem assessments for customers within the nuclear sector and through this, our experience, expertise and reputation with regulators and industry has grown.   Our range of services include: Interpretation of the new legislation and how this affects business. Generation of GIS maps detailing conservation sites within specified distances of an industrial site, and identification of the important species and habitats that may be at risk from radionuclide discharges from that site. Collection of environmental samples and analysis for a range of radionuclides. Modelling the fate of emissions from an industrial site that may impact upon Natura 2000 sites, using industry and regulator standard models to determine transfer to marine and freshwater ecosystems. In addition, we can provide an understanding of the effects of radiation on biological organisms. Calculation of doses to key species likely to be affected by discharges to the environment, using the bespoke assessment spreadsheet tools for the coastal, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems developed by us. Application of a mathematical method allowing radiological assessments for unusual species featured in conservation sites and not covered by the existing methodology. Interpretation of biota doses to assess whether industry releases are likely to adversely affect the integrity of the Natura 2000 site, and use of our expert knowledge to interpret results to determine the acceptability of potential environmental risk.   We can help an organisation to comply with current legislation. Our expert knowledge of radionuclide transfers in the environment, combined with our modelling and biological expertise, make us uniquely placed to offer a holistic package for environmental impact assessments   Publications - EU project reports J. Brown, P. Strand, A. Hosseini and P. Børretzen (Eds.) (2003). Handbook for Assessment of the Exposure of Biota to Ionising Radiation from Radionuclides in the Environment. FASSET (Framework for Assessment of Environmental Impact) Deliverable 5 Report under Contract No FIGE-CT-2000-00102. Available at http://www.erica-project.org/   G. Pröhl (Ed.). (2003). Dosimetric models and data for assessing radiation exposures to biota. FASSET (Framework for Assessment of Environmental Impact) Deliverable 3 Report under Contract No FIGE-CT-2000-00102, G. Pröhl (Ed.). Available at http://www.erica-project.org/   N A Beresford, S.M. Wright, J.E. Brown and T. Sazykina (Eds.) (2003). Transfer and Uptake Models for Reference Arctic Organisms. Environmental Protection from Ionising Contaminants (EPIC) report, European Commission Inco-Copernicus Programme Contract No.: ICA2-CT-2000-10032, May 2003, 75 pp.   Publications - EA Reports Copplestone, D., Wood M., Bielby S., Jones S.R., Vives J. and Beresford N.A. (2003). Habitats regulations for Stage 3 assessments: radioactive substances authorisations. Environment Agency R&D Technical Report P3-101/SP1A, October 2003, 104 pp.   Copplestone D., Bielby S., Jones S.R., Patton D., Daniel P. and Gize I. (2001) Impact Assessment of Ionising Radiation on Wildlife. Environment Agency R&D Publication 128, updated March 2003. ISBN: 1 85705590 X 222pp.   Publications - Papers in journals and conferences Beresford, N.A., Wright, S.M., Barnett, C.L. , Hingston, J.L., J. Vives i Batlle, J., Copplestone, D., Kryshev, I.I. , Sazykina, T.G. , Pröhl, G., Arkhipov, A. and Howard, B.J. (2004). A Case Study In The Chernobyl Zone - Part 2: Predicting Radiation Induced Effects In Biota. In: Proc. ECORAD 2004: The Scientific Basis for Environment Protection against radioactivity, 6 - 10 September 2004, Aix en Provence, France.   Brown, J.E., Jones, S.R., Saxén, R., Thørring, H. and Vives i Batlle, J. (2004). Radiation doses to aquatic organisms from natural radionuclides. J. Radiol. Prot. 24 (4A): A63-A77.   Copplestone, D., Wood, M.D., Merrill, P.C., Allott, R., Jones, S.R., Vives i Batlle, J., Beresford, N.A. and I. Zinger, I. (2004). Impact Assessment of Ionising Radiation on Wildlife: Meeting the Requirements of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. Radioprotection, Suppl. 1, vol. 39 (2004).   Jones, S.R., Brown, J.E., Thørring, H., Saxen, R. and Vives I Batlle, J. (2003). Radiation doses to aquatic organisms from natural radionuclides. In: Proc. IAEA Int. Conf. on Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionising Radiation, 6-10 October 2003, Stockholm, Sweden.   Saxén R., Vives i Batlle, J. and Jones, S.R. (2003). Development of a Concentration Factor Database for Radionuclides in the Aquatic Environment: Applications and Implications for FASSET. In: Proc. IAEA Int. Conf. on Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionising Radiation, 6-10 October 2003, Stockholm, Sweden.   Vives i Batlle, J., Jones, S.R. and Gómez-Ros, J.M. (2004). A method for calculation of dose per unit concentration values for aquatic biota. J. Radiol. Prot., 24 (4A): A13-A34.   Vives i Batlle, J. and Jones, S.R. (2003). A method for calculation of dose per unit concentration values for aquatic biota within FASSET. In: Proc. IAEA Int. Conf. on Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionising Radiation, 6-10 October 2003, Stockholm, Sweden.   Contact For more information about ecosystem assessments or to discuss how we could provide you with the ecosystem assessment services you need, please contact: biokinetic.modelling@westlakes.ac.uk   Alternatively, please contact the Environmental Science Administration Office: esadm@westlakes.ac.uk (Tel: 01946 514094).     Westlakes Research Institute, Westlakes Science and Technology Park, Moor Row, Cumbria, CA24 3JY Tel: 01946 514000    Fax: 01946 514057    Email: wri@westlakes.ac.uk   Webmaster: webmaster@westlakes.ac.uk