Assessment of the radiological impact and associated risk to non-human biota from routine liquid discharges of the Belgian nuclear power plants

The need for investigating potential risks induced by radioactive contaminants on wildlife and ecosystems is now internationally recognized. International recommendations and guidelines and a comprehensive system to protect the environment from ionizing radiation are under development and environmental protection benchmarks are being derived[1-4]. Ecological or environmental risk assessment (ERA) is an increasingly important component in any decision-making process that aims to provide transparent management decisions on environmental practices and associated problems. In view of future regulation, SCK•CEN has been commissioned by Electrabel (GDF-Suez) to perform an environmental impact and risk assessment resulting from the liquid radioactive discharges from the Belgian Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) of Doel and Tihange.