General summary and conclusions

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of the results from the RAD programme. RAD-1 had a multiple purpose: methodology, training, quality assurance and doses. Initially, a major task was to conduct a two-week post-graduate training course in various aspects of radioecology. The course included 20 lectures by various Nordic radioecologists. An exchange programme permitting, preferentially, young scientists to stay for one or two weeks at another Nordic laboratory, for example, to adopt a new radiochemical method, was also conducted by RAD-1. RAD-2: Aquatic ecosystems mainly concerned Nordic lakes, as the major problems in aquatic environments after the Chernobyl accident appeared in fresh-water systems. However, two minor projects were run in the marine environment. RAD-3: Agricultural ecosystems focused on various aspects of Nordic agriculture in relation to nuclear contamination: annual crops, cows' milk, grazing sheep and on countermeasures. RAD-3 also included a study of physico-chemical forms and a model study. RAD-4: Forest and alpine ecosystems concerned the natural terrestrial environment which, like the freshwater environment, appeared to surprise the authorities with high and variable radionuclide levels after the Chernobyl accident.