(Press-News.org) The decision of the German government to phase out nuclear power by 2022 has reopened an energy debate that has far wider implications than Germany or Japan, which is still coming to terms with events at the damaged Fukushima plant.
This virtual issue, published by the SETAC journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry adds to that debate by exploring the ecological effects of radiation, using research from the Chernobyl disaster.
The issue is a freely accessible resource for researchers that offers a historical precedent for considering the long-term environmental impact of the nuclear accident in Fukushima.
"From snails to voles and trout, a region's entire ecosystem can be impacted by radiation from the type of nuclear disaster experienced at Chernobyl twenty-five years ago, or at Fukushima today," said ET&C Editor-in-Chief Herb Ward, from Rice University, Houston. "The research brought together in this virtual issue allows us to better understand the long-term ecological and environmental impact of Chernobyl, setting a bench mark that allows us to anticipate the effects of future nuclear accidents."
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The 23 articles featured in the virtual issue include:
Understanding the genetic consequences of environmental toxicant exposure: Chernobyl as a model system
Heather N. Meeks, Ronald K. Chesser, Brenda E. Rodgers, Sergey Gaschak and Robert J. Baker
10.1897/08-578.1
Seasonal variation in radiocesium levels of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): Implications for humans and sensitive wildlife species
John D. Peles, Tom Philippi, Michael H. Smith, I. Lehr Brisbin Jr. and J. Whitfield Gibbons
10.1002/etc.5620190717
The chornobyl nuclear disaster and subsequent creation of a wildlife preserve
Robert J. Baker and Ronald K. Chesser
10.1002/etc.5620190501
Coming Soon: Experts Discuss Environmental Challenges to Nuclear Power in July 2011 Issue of IEAM
The July 2011 issue of Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management will feature a series of invited commentaries that discuss environmental challenges to nuclear power generation. The March 2011 events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan captured the world's attention and re-invigorated concerns about the safety of nuclear power. IEAM Editors invited experts to describe the primary issues associated with the control and release of radioactive materials to the environment. The commentaries address the broad science and policy challenges raised by this event, and provide a brief overview of the science issues that surround this situation.
Look for the series "Challenges Posed by Radiation and Radionuclides in the Environment" in the July issue of IEAM (7.3). All commentaries will be open access and available at setacjournals.org.
Chernobyl revisited: Virtual issue explores ecological effects of nuclear disasters
2011-06-08
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Fetal exposure to BPA changes development of uterus in primates
2011-06-08
Exposure in the womb to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used in the food and medical industries, causes changes in female primates' uterus development, new research suggests. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.
"Previous studies have shown that BPA can affect the reproductive tract. However, because the studies were done in rodents, it was uncertain if this would also be true in humans," said Carmen Williams, MD, PhD, a clinical investigator with the National Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIEHS), ...
Older age does not cause testosterone levels to decline in healthy men
2011-06-08
A decline in testosterone levels as men grow older is likely the result—not the cause—of deteriorating general health, say Australian scientists, whose new study finds that age, in itself, has no effect on testosterone level in healthy older men.
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Excessive pregnancy weight gain raises the risk of having a fat baby
2011-06-08
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High fat at birth is a possible risk factor for childhood obesity, said the study's principal investigator, Jami Josefson, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist at Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital and assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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Teens with type 2 diabetes already show possible signs of impaired heart function
2011-06-08
Heart function may be affected in people with Type 2 diabetes as early as adolescence, according to a new study that will be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.
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Study: What mom thinks matters when it comes to mental illness
2011-06-08
WASHINGTON, DC, June 7, 2011 — A new study led by a Northern Illinois University sociologist shows that while family members often provide critical support, they also can sometimes be the source of stigmatizing attitudes that impede the recovery of mentally ill relatives.
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Markowitz and his colleagues, Beth Angell from ...
Cash talks when overbooked hotel guests walk
2011-06-08
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Researchers discover biochemical weakness of malaria parasite -- vaccine to be developed
2011-06-08
Every year, 10,000 pregnant women and up to 200,000 newborn babies are killed by the malaria parasite. Doctors all around the globe have for years been looking in vain for a medical protection, and now researchers from the University of Copenhagen have found the biochemically weakness of the lethal malaria parasite, and will now start developing a vaccine to combat pregnancy related malaria.
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People judge therapists by their offices, study shows
2011-06-08
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UK Government plans for mentally ill prisoners are unrealistic, research suggests
2011-06-08
Government plans to divert more mentally ill people out of the criminal justice system and into mental health services are unlikely to be achieved, according to new research from Queen Mary, University of London.
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Coffee drinking improves hepatitis C treatment response
2011-06-08
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