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Beresford, N.A.; Barnett, C.L.; Jones, D.G.; Wood, M.D.; Appleton, J.D.; Breward, N.; Copplestone, D.

Natural radionuclide concentrations in soil, water, sediment and biota in England and Wales

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PLEASE NOTE: By accessing or using this dataset, you agree to the terms of the relevant licence agreement(s). You will ensure that this dataset is cited in any publication that describes research in which the data have been used.

This dataset is made available under the terms of the Open Government Licence

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https://doi.org/10.5285/bb2d7874-7bf4-44de-aa43-348bd684a2fe
Data comprise estimates of activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides (40K, 238U and 232Th series radionuclides) in environmental media (soil and stream sediments and waters) and non-human biota (focusing on the ICRP Reference Animals and Plants). For soil, stream sediments and stream waters data were derived from total K, U and Th concentrations mainly from the ongoing geochemical survey of the United Kingdom (G-BASE), conducted by the British Geological Survey. The geochemical survey data are currently incomplete for England and Wales, but almost complete coverage was obtained for K in stream sediments by using the Wolfson Atlas data for southern England. For U and Th in sediments and K, U and Th in soils, more complete coverage was achieved by geological extrapolation (using relationships between soils/sediments and bedrock/superficial geology). For media and sediments, datasets are provided for both: (i) geometric mean concentrations from measured samples on a 5 x 5 km square basis where data are available; and (ii) extrapolated surfaces covering all of England and Wales. Data for non-human biota are from targeted sampling and analyses and data review.
Publication date: 2015-11-18
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Format

Comma-separated values (CSV)

Spatial information

Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84

Temporal information

Temporal extent
1984-09-01    to    2006-01-01

Provenance & quality

Please download supporting information for full materials and methods. Alternatively refer to the following journal papers:
For soil, water and sediment data: Background exposure rates of terrestrial wildlife in England and Wales N.A. Beresford, C.L. Barnett, D.G. Jones, M.D. Wood, J.D. Appleton, N. Breward, D. Copplestone. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 99 (2008) 1430-1439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.03.003
For biota data: Assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides around England and Wales: Application of the G-BASE dataset to estimate doses to non-human species Jones, D. G., Appleton, J. D., Breward, N., Mackenzie, A. C., Scheib, C., Beresford, N. A., … Copplestone, D. (2009). Assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides around England and Wales: Application of the G-BASE dataset to estimate doses to non-human species. Radioprotection, 44(5), 629–634. https://doi.org/10.1051/radiopro/20095116

Licensing and constraints

This dataset is made available under the terms of the Open Government Licence

Cite this dataset as:
Beresford, N.A.; Barnett, C.L.; Jones, D.G.; Wood, M.D.; Appleton, J.D.; Breward, N.; Copplestone, D. (2015). Natural radionuclide concentrations in soil, water, sediment and biota in England and Wales. NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/bb2d7874-7bf4-44de-aa43-348bd684a2fe

© UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Supplemental information

Hosseini, A., Beresford, N. A., Brown, J. E., Jones, D. G., Phaneuf, M., Thørring, H., & Yankovich, T. (2010). Background dose-rates to reference animals and plants arising from exposure to naturally occurring radionuclides in aquatic environments. Journal of Radiological Protection, 30(2), 235-264
Beresford, N.A., Barnett, C.L., Jones, D.G., Wood, M.D., Appleton, J.D., Breward, N., Copplestone D. 2008. Background exposure rates of terrestrial wildlife in England and Wales. J. Environ. Radioact., 99, 1430-1439
Jones, D.G., Appleton, J.D., Breward, N., Mackenzie, A.C., Scheib, C., Beresford, N. A., Barnett, C.L., Wood, M.D., Copplestone D. Assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides around England and Wales: application of the G-BASE dataset to estimate doses to non-human species. Radioprotection (2009) 44, 629-634.
Hosseini, A., Beresford, N.A., Brown, J.E., Jones, D.G., Phaneuf, M., Thørring, H., & Yankovich, T. (2010). Background dose-rates to reference animals and plants arising from exposure to naturally occurring radionuclides in aquatic environments. Journal of Radiological Protection, 30(2), 235-264
Beresford, N.A., Appleton, J D., Barnett, C.L., Bescoby, M.W., Breward, N., Jones, D.G., MacKenzie, A.C., Scheib, C.,Thørring, H., Wood, M.D. 2007. Assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides around England and Wales. Science Project SC030283. ISBN: 1844325679. Environment Agency, Bristol.

Correspondence/contact details

Professor Nick Beresford
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 8BB
UNITED KINGDOM
 enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

Authors

Beresford, N.A.
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Barnett, C.L.
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Jones, D.G.
British Geological Survey
Wood, M.D.
University of Salford
Appleton, J.D.
British Geological Society
Breward, N.
British Geological Society
Copplestone, D.
School of Natural Sciences

Other contacts

Rights holder
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Custodian
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk
Publisher
NERC Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk
Owner
Natural Environment Research Council
 enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

Additional metadata

Topic categories
environment
geoscientificInformation
INSPIRE theme
Human Health and Safety
Keywords
biota , England , Pollution , potassium-40 , radioecology , Radioecology , sediment , soil , Soil , thorium , uranium , Wales , water
Last updated
08 February 2024 17:25