D. Oughton - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by D. Oughton
Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række, Jan 20, 2000
Radioprotection, 2020
The European project CONFIDENCE identified, conceptualised and addressed social uncertainties thr... more The European project CONFIDENCE identified, conceptualised and addressed social uncertainties through a multi-method research approach. The research highlighted the uncertainties faced by publics, emergency management actors and decision-makers in nuclear emergencies and during the recovery phase. It showed that nuclear emergency management is dominated by decisions under uncertainties, that non-experts face also different uncertainties than experts, that emergency plans need a (continuous) reality check and that sound communication, openness and transparency about uncertainties may contribute to better decisions. It also suggests that national emergency response and recovery policies should consider and support the capacity of local actors to deal with an emergency or post-accident situation, for instance by carrying out their own measurements. This way, social uncertainties can be addressed and in some situations reduced, and the communication improved.
Radioprotection, 2011
The present work encompasses some key aspects of a 3-year long research project (INTRANOR) where ... more The present work encompasses some key aspects of a 3-year long research project (INTRANOR) where the main focus has been specifically on environmental assessments for radiation exposure through application of existing methodologies and their adaptation to quantify transfer, exposure and effects in Boreal/Arctic ecosystems. Non-parametric statistical methods have been applied in order to estimate the threshold dose rates above which radiation effects can be expected in vertebrate organisms. In addition, industrial areas contaminated by uranium mill tailings and radium production wastes, in the Komi Republic, Russia, were selected as suitable sites to study further the effects of exposure to radiation under boreal conditions. Dose-effect relationships have been established for a few natural populations inhabiting this area. Analyses of data have allowed benchmarks to be established below which no decrease in reproductive capacity could be observed. Other work performed within the project includes the collation of data in relation to naturally occurring radionuclides and application of existing methodologies to characterise background radiation exposures. These dose-rates may be a suitable means of contextualising the exposure attributable to enhanced dose-rates arising from human activities. Finally, combined action of ionizing radiation and low temperature has been analyzed and mathematically modelled.
... Beresford, NA; Barnett, CL; Howard, BJ; Rantavaara, A.; Rissanen, K.; Realesh, N.; Gallay, F.... more ... Beresford, NA; Barnett, CL; Howard, BJ; Rantavaara, A.; Rissanen, K.; Realesh, N.; Gallay, F.; Papachristodoulou, C.; Ioannides, K.; Nisbet, AF; Brown, J.; Hesketh, N.; Hammond, D.; Oatway, W.; Oughton, D.; Bay, I.; Smith, JT. ... NORA Subject Terms ...
Despite a long recognition that radiological protection is not only a matter of science, but also... more Despite a long recognition that radiological protection is not only a matter of science, but also morality and wisdom, ICRP publications have rarely addressed the ethical foundations of the system of radiological protection explicitly. The purpose of this publication is to describe how the Commission has used ethical values in developing the system of radiological protection with the objective of presenting a coherent view of how ethics is part of this system. In so doing it helps to clarify the inherent value judgements made in achieving the aim of the radiological protection system as underlined by the Commission in its Publication 103. Although primarily addressed to the radiological protection community, this publication is also intended to address authorities, operators, workers, medical professionals, patients, the public and its representatives acting in the interest of the protection of people and the environment. The publication provides first the key steps concerning the scientific, ethical and practical evolutions of the system of radiological protection since the first ICRP publication in 1928. It then describes the four core ethical values underpinning the present system: beneficence/non-maleficence, prudence, justice, and dignity. It also discusses how these core ethical values relate to the principles of radiological protection, namely justification, optimisation, and limitation. The publication finally addresses key procedural values that are required for the practical implementation of the system, focusing on accountability, transparency and inclusiveness. The Commission sees this publication as a founding document to be elaborated further in different situations and circumstances.
Annals of the ICRP, 2018
management of the different phases of the accident; the use of modern social media in the exchang... more management of the different phases of the accident; the use of modern social media in the exchange of information; the role of stakeholder involvement processes in both emergency and recovery situations; considerations of societal, ethical, and economic aspects; and the reinforcement of education and training for various actors. This paper emphasises the main issues at stake for NERIS for post accident management.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2016
☆ Signatories, all of whom participated in the International Union of Radioecology 2015 Miami Con... more ☆ Signatories, all of whom participated in the International Union of Radioecology 2015 Miami Consensus Symposium, endorse the agreed statements expressed in this publication in their own names and under the aegis of the IUR. The responsibility of their respective institutions is not engaged.
Low Dose Exposures in the Environment, 2004
The discussions of the Working Group on “Environmental Standards — Risks and Regulatory Processes... more The discussions of the Working Group on “Environmental Standards — Risks and Regulatory Processes in the Low-Dose Range” showed that the interdisciplinary dialogue and interaction is of utmost importance for dealing with and setting environmental standards. In the modern, industrialised world with high human population densities, it is necessary to achieve a balance between the development and the operation of efficient technologies on the one hand and the maintenance of a healthy and sustainable environment for today’s life and for future generations on the other hand. Therefore regulations; including the setting of environmental standards; are very important.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2004
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2011
This brief commentary summarizes the views of a working group assembled by the International Unio... more This brief commentary summarizes the views of a working group assembled by the International Union of Radioecology to advance the approaches used to evaluate effects of radioactive materials in the environment. The key message in both the research needs and the recommendations for management of radioactive materials centers around the need to adopt an ecocentric approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of biota, including humans, and ecological processes.
Environmental Science & Technology, 2008
These experiments were designed to identify stress effects in 3 key organs in Atlantic Salmon (Sa... more These experiments were designed to identify stress effects in 3 key organs in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar, L.) after exposure in vivo to very low doses of radiation, and subtoxic levels of aluminum (Al) and cadmium (Cd) alone or in combination. Six fish per group were sacrificed after exposure and the anterior kidney, fin, and gill were dissected and sentfor assay of bystander signal production as a stress response end point. Radiation doses as low as 4 mGy delivered over 5 h, alone or in combination with Cd and/or Al, caused bystander signals to be produced in tissues harvested from in vivo exposed salmon. The effects vary among different organs and are not consistently additive or synergistic for a given treatment although gill cells do show high degrees of synergism between radiation and metal exposure. Data for individual fish did not suggest any systemic sensitivity to the stressors. Interestingly, the data for Cd suggest that lower toxicity is found when the metal is used in combination with radiation exposure. Expression of two proteins associated with survival responses (Bcl-2) or death responses (cmyc) after radiation was measured in the tissue cultures and showed a highly significant correlation with response outcome. The results, although complex, indicate that these stress signal responses may aid in the mechanistic investigation of mixed contaminant effects in fish exposed to metals and radiation.
Environment International, 2013
A combination of state-of-the-art isotopic fingerprinting techniques and atmospheric transport mo... more A combination of state-of-the-art isotopic fingerprinting techniques and atmospheric transport modelling using real-time historical meteorological data have been used to demonstrate direct tropospheric transport of radioactive debris from specific nuclear detonations at the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan to Norway via large areas of Europe. A selection of archived air filters collected at ground level at 9 stations in Norway during the most intensive atmospheric nuclear weapon testing periods (1957-1958 and 1961-1962) have been screened for radioactive particles and analysed with respect to the concentrations and atom ratios of plutonium (Pu) and uranium (U) using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Digital autoradiography screening demonstrated the presence of radioactive particles in the filters. Concentrations of 236 U (1.0-22.6 nBq m-3) and 239+240 Pu (0.7-782 µBq m-3) as well as the atom ratios 240 Pu/ 239 Pu (0.052-0.237) and 236 U/ 239 Pu (0.019-0.68) varied widely indicating several different sources. Filter samples from autumn and winter tended to have lower atom ratios than those sampled in spring and summer, and this likely reflects a tropospheric influence in months with little stratospheric fallout. Very high 236 U, 239+240 Pu and gross beta activity concentrations as well as low 240 Pu/ 239 Pu (0.052-0.077), 241 Pu/ 239 Pu (0.00025-0.00062) and 236 U/ 239 Pu (0.0193-0.046) atom ratios, characteristic of close-in and tropospheric fallout, were observed in filters collected at all stations in Nov 1962, 7-12 days after three low-yield detonations at Semipalatinsk (Kazakhstan). Atmospheric transport modelling (NOAA HYSPLIT_4) using real-time meteorological data confirmed that long range transport of radionuclides, and possibly radioactive particles, from Semipalatinsk to 2 Norway during this period was plausible. The present work shows that direct tropospheric transport of fallout from atmospheric nuclear detonations periodically may have had much larger influence on radionuclide air concentrations and deposition than previously anticipated.
Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 2004
Generally low levels of plutonium in environmental samples, often combined with limited sample si... more Generally low levels of plutonium in environmental samples, often combined with limited sample sizes, necessitate reliable low-level techniques for determination of Pu isotopes. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has proved to be a powerful method for measuring low-level Pu activity concentrations and Pu isotope ratios. Based on procedural blanks, detection limits for AMS were below 1 fg Pu (equivalent to ca. 2 mBq 139 Pu), which can compete with both TIMS, high sensitivity ICP-MS, and certainly alpha-spectrometry, while showing less interference, memory and matrix effects as compared to routine ICP-MS techniques. In addition to low detection limits, the technique offers the advantage of giving information on Pu isotope ratios. Measurements of sediments collected from dumping sites at Novaya Zemlya showed deviation from global fallout 240 Pu/ 239 Pu ratios.
Overview of history and examples of current uses of (ecological) stoichiometry .... 6.3 Current u... more Overview of history and examples of current uses of (ecological) stoichiometry .... 6.3 Current usage of stoichiometry in radioecology .
Radioprotection, 2020
The CONFIDENCE dissemination workshop “Coping with uncertainties for improved modelling and decis... more The CONFIDENCE dissemination workshop “Coping with uncertainties for improved modelling and decision making in nuclear emergencies” was held in December 2–5, 2019 (Bratislava, Slovak Republic). About 90 scientists and decision makers attended the workshop. The dissemination workshop allowed the presentation of the CONFIDENCE project results, demonstration of the applicability of the developed methods and tools in interactive discussion sessions and the collection of feedback from the participants. The results were disseminated not only in the form of presentations and posters but also through interactive workshops where all participants were involved in round table working groups. A fictive accidental release scenario taking place at a nuclear power plant was developed and used by each work package in the workshop to provide the basis for interactive sessions and discussions.
Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række, Jan 20, 2000
Radioprotection, 2020
The European project CONFIDENCE identified, conceptualised and addressed social uncertainties thr... more The European project CONFIDENCE identified, conceptualised and addressed social uncertainties through a multi-method research approach. The research highlighted the uncertainties faced by publics, emergency management actors and decision-makers in nuclear emergencies and during the recovery phase. It showed that nuclear emergency management is dominated by decisions under uncertainties, that non-experts face also different uncertainties than experts, that emergency plans need a (continuous) reality check and that sound communication, openness and transparency about uncertainties may contribute to better decisions. It also suggests that national emergency response and recovery policies should consider and support the capacity of local actors to deal with an emergency or post-accident situation, for instance by carrying out their own measurements. This way, social uncertainties can be addressed and in some situations reduced, and the communication improved.
Radioprotection, 2011
The present work encompasses some key aspects of a 3-year long research project (INTRANOR) where ... more The present work encompasses some key aspects of a 3-year long research project (INTRANOR) where the main focus has been specifically on environmental assessments for radiation exposure through application of existing methodologies and their adaptation to quantify transfer, exposure and effects in Boreal/Arctic ecosystems. Non-parametric statistical methods have been applied in order to estimate the threshold dose rates above which radiation effects can be expected in vertebrate organisms. In addition, industrial areas contaminated by uranium mill tailings and radium production wastes, in the Komi Republic, Russia, were selected as suitable sites to study further the effects of exposure to radiation under boreal conditions. Dose-effect relationships have been established for a few natural populations inhabiting this area. Analyses of data have allowed benchmarks to be established below which no decrease in reproductive capacity could be observed. Other work performed within the project includes the collation of data in relation to naturally occurring radionuclides and application of existing methodologies to characterise background radiation exposures. These dose-rates may be a suitable means of contextualising the exposure attributable to enhanced dose-rates arising from human activities. Finally, combined action of ionizing radiation and low temperature has been analyzed and mathematically modelled.
... Beresford, NA; Barnett, CL; Howard, BJ; Rantavaara, A.; Rissanen, K.; Realesh, N.; Gallay, F.... more ... Beresford, NA; Barnett, CL; Howard, BJ; Rantavaara, A.; Rissanen, K.; Realesh, N.; Gallay, F.; Papachristodoulou, C.; Ioannides, K.; Nisbet, AF; Brown, J.; Hesketh, N.; Hammond, D.; Oatway, W.; Oughton, D.; Bay, I.; Smith, JT. ... NORA Subject Terms ...
Despite a long recognition that radiological protection is not only a matter of science, but also... more Despite a long recognition that radiological protection is not only a matter of science, but also morality and wisdom, ICRP publications have rarely addressed the ethical foundations of the system of radiological protection explicitly. The purpose of this publication is to describe how the Commission has used ethical values in developing the system of radiological protection with the objective of presenting a coherent view of how ethics is part of this system. In so doing it helps to clarify the inherent value judgements made in achieving the aim of the radiological protection system as underlined by the Commission in its Publication 103. Although primarily addressed to the radiological protection community, this publication is also intended to address authorities, operators, workers, medical professionals, patients, the public and its representatives acting in the interest of the protection of people and the environment. The publication provides first the key steps concerning the scientific, ethical and practical evolutions of the system of radiological protection since the first ICRP publication in 1928. It then describes the four core ethical values underpinning the present system: beneficence/non-maleficence, prudence, justice, and dignity. It also discusses how these core ethical values relate to the principles of radiological protection, namely justification, optimisation, and limitation. The publication finally addresses key procedural values that are required for the practical implementation of the system, focusing on accountability, transparency and inclusiveness. The Commission sees this publication as a founding document to be elaborated further in different situations and circumstances.
Annals of the ICRP, 2018
management of the different phases of the accident; the use of modern social media in the exchang... more management of the different phases of the accident; the use of modern social media in the exchange of information; the role of stakeholder involvement processes in both emergency and recovery situations; considerations of societal, ethical, and economic aspects; and the reinforcement of education and training for various actors. This paper emphasises the main issues at stake for NERIS for post accident management.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2016
☆ Signatories, all of whom participated in the International Union of Radioecology 2015 Miami Con... more ☆ Signatories, all of whom participated in the International Union of Radioecology 2015 Miami Consensus Symposium, endorse the agreed statements expressed in this publication in their own names and under the aegis of the IUR. The responsibility of their respective institutions is not engaged.
Low Dose Exposures in the Environment, 2004
The discussions of the Working Group on “Environmental Standards — Risks and Regulatory Processes... more The discussions of the Working Group on “Environmental Standards — Risks and Regulatory Processes in the Low-Dose Range” showed that the interdisciplinary dialogue and interaction is of utmost importance for dealing with and setting environmental standards. In the modern, industrialised world with high human population densities, it is necessary to achieve a balance between the development and the operation of efficient technologies on the one hand and the maintenance of a healthy and sustainable environment for today’s life and for future generations on the other hand. Therefore regulations; including the setting of environmental standards; are very important.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2004
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2011
This brief commentary summarizes the views of a working group assembled by the International Unio... more This brief commentary summarizes the views of a working group assembled by the International Union of Radioecology to advance the approaches used to evaluate effects of radioactive materials in the environment. The key message in both the research needs and the recommendations for management of radioactive materials centers around the need to adopt an ecocentric approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of biota, including humans, and ecological processes.
Environmental Science & Technology, 2008
These experiments were designed to identify stress effects in 3 key organs in Atlantic Salmon (Sa... more These experiments were designed to identify stress effects in 3 key organs in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar, L.) after exposure in vivo to very low doses of radiation, and subtoxic levels of aluminum (Al) and cadmium (Cd) alone or in combination. Six fish per group were sacrificed after exposure and the anterior kidney, fin, and gill were dissected and sentfor assay of bystander signal production as a stress response end point. Radiation doses as low as 4 mGy delivered over 5 h, alone or in combination with Cd and/or Al, caused bystander signals to be produced in tissues harvested from in vivo exposed salmon. The effects vary among different organs and are not consistently additive or synergistic for a given treatment although gill cells do show high degrees of synergism between radiation and metal exposure. Data for individual fish did not suggest any systemic sensitivity to the stressors. Interestingly, the data for Cd suggest that lower toxicity is found when the metal is used in combination with radiation exposure. Expression of two proteins associated with survival responses (Bcl-2) or death responses (cmyc) after radiation was measured in the tissue cultures and showed a highly significant correlation with response outcome. The results, although complex, indicate that these stress signal responses may aid in the mechanistic investigation of mixed contaminant effects in fish exposed to metals and radiation.
Environment International, 2013
A combination of state-of-the-art isotopic fingerprinting techniques and atmospheric transport mo... more A combination of state-of-the-art isotopic fingerprinting techniques and atmospheric transport modelling using real-time historical meteorological data have been used to demonstrate direct tropospheric transport of radioactive debris from specific nuclear detonations at the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan to Norway via large areas of Europe. A selection of archived air filters collected at ground level at 9 stations in Norway during the most intensive atmospheric nuclear weapon testing periods (1957-1958 and 1961-1962) have been screened for radioactive particles and analysed with respect to the concentrations and atom ratios of plutonium (Pu) and uranium (U) using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Digital autoradiography screening demonstrated the presence of radioactive particles in the filters. Concentrations of 236 U (1.0-22.6 nBq m-3) and 239+240 Pu (0.7-782 µBq m-3) as well as the atom ratios 240 Pu/ 239 Pu (0.052-0.237) and 236 U/ 239 Pu (0.019-0.68) varied widely indicating several different sources. Filter samples from autumn and winter tended to have lower atom ratios than those sampled in spring and summer, and this likely reflects a tropospheric influence in months with little stratospheric fallout. Very high 236 U, 239+240 Pu and gross beta activity concentrations as well as low 240 Pu/ 239 Pu (0.052-0.077), 241 Pu/ 239 Pu (0.00025-0.00062) and 236 U/ 239 Pu (0.0193-0.046) atom ratios, characteristic of close-in and tropospheric fallout, were observed in filters collected at all stations in Nov 1962, 7-12 days after three low-yield detonations at Semipalatinsk (Kazakhstan). Atmospheric transport modelling (NOAA HYSPLIT_4) using real-time meteorological data confirmed that long range transport of radionuclides, and possibly radioactive particles, from Semipalatinsk to 2 Norway during this period was plausible. The present work shows that direct tropospheric transport of fallout from atmospheric nuclear detonations periodically may have had much larger influence on radionuclide air concentrations and deposition than previously anticipated.
Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 2004
Generally low levels of plutonium in environmental samples, often combined with limited sample si... more Generally low levels of plutonium in environmental samples, often combined with limited sample sizes, necessitate reliable low-level techniques for determination of Pu isotopes. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has proved to be a powerful method for measuring low-level Pu activity concentrations and Pu isotope ratios. Based on procedural blanks, detection limits for AMS were below 1 fg Pu (equivalent to ca. 2 mBq 139 Pu), which can compete with both TIMS, high sensitivity ICP-MS, and certainly alpha-spectrometry, while showing less interference, memory and matrix effects as compared to routine ICP-MS techniques. In addition to low detection limits, the technique offers the advantage of giving information on Pu isotope ratios. Measurements of sediments collected from dumping sites at Novaya Zemlya showed deviation from global fallout 240 Pu/ 239 Pu ratios.
Overview of history and examples of current uses of (ecological) stoichiometry .... 6.3 Current u... more Overview of history and examples of current uses of (ecological) stoichiometry .... 6.3 Current usage of stoichiometry in radioecology .
Radioprotection, 2020
The CONFIDENCE dissemination workshop “Coping with uncertainties for improved modelling and decis... more The CONFIDENCE dissemination workshop “Coping with uncertainties for improved modelling and decision making in nuclear emergencies” was held in December 2–5, 2019 (Bratislava, Slovak Republic). About 90 scientists and decision makers attended the workshop. The dissemination workshop allowed the presentation of the CONFIDENCE project results, demonstration of the applicability of the developed methods and tools in interactive discussion sessions and the collection of feedback from the participants. The results were disseminated not only in the form of presentations and posters but also through interactive workshops where all participants were involved in round table working groups. A fictive accidental release scenario taking place at a nuclear power plant was developed and used by each work package in the workshop to provide the basis for interactive sessions and discussions.