No abstract available

No abstract available

[en] This publication contains a selection of the papers that were presented at a meeting of the Industrial Ecology Group of the British Ecological Society, held at the University of Bristol 1-4 April 1985. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the processes and mechanisms underlying the transfer of pollutants and contaminants in ecological systems. The discussion of the impact of pollutants on individual organisms, populations and communities was specifically excluded. Parallels between transfer, distribution and fate of a wide range of materials were identified. The papers presented at the meeting provided examples of mechanisms and processes involved in pollutant transport through ecosystems as well as of the significance of long-term or widespread investigations in the identification of temporal or geographical trends. Examples were also provided of studies involving complex systems and diverse materials with the aim of identifying underlying principles. Topics of current environmental concern e.g. acid deposition, heavy metals, radioactivity, etc. for which information is being collated in order to provide a basis for assessments concerning future impact were presented. Such assessments will require a combination of the information on transport and fate within ecosystems with knowledge of the effects of pollutants on the system. The interpretation of data concerning effects of a pollutant needs to be placed in the wider context of the occurrence, distribution and fate of that pollutant. The purpose of this publication is to provide that wider context. (author)

[en] A model of the transfer of radioactivity from sea to land in sea spray is described. The model involves a simple analysis of the atmospheric dispersion and deposition of sea spray droplets produced in the surf zone. Results obtained using the model are compared to data from a number of experiments on the inland transport of sea spray. It is shown that there is a good agreement with data obtained from a wide range of sea spray collection techniques and from both long- and short-term collections. It is concluded that the model is of use in calculating airborne radioactivity concentrations and deposition of radioactivity close to the West Cumbrian coastline. The model can be used to aid estimation of the radiological exposure of persons living in this area from radioactivity discharged into the sea and returned to land by this pathway. (author)

[en] A mechanistic model was developed to simulate the transport of radio-Cs in soils and its subsequent uptake by vegetation. The soil parameters in the model have been 'calibrated' by a process of parameter estimation by fitting model results to experimental data on the radio-Cs distribution in the soil profile. The experiment was used was not originally designed for this purpose and the data was non-ideal. Nevertheless it proved a useful initial test of the model. The experiment carried out at ITE Merlewood was intended to study the recycling of radio-Cs deposited by contaminated sheep faeces. Separate experiments were conducted to measure the rate at which radio-Cs is removed from faeces and it was therefore possible to determine source terms for the model. The cumulative rate of uptake by the vegetation was measured and at the end of the experiment the distribution of radio-Cs within the soil profile determined. (author)