Frontiers of environmental radioactivity

Some frontiers of environmental radioactivity are outlined where radioecologists and chemists are required to solve environmental problems. The first theme is the need for research on biogeochemical cycling of both stable and radioactive nuclides. The second theme discusses measurement challenges in radioecology. The third theme is related to predictive abilities where much of the present radioecology work is aimed at estimates of impacts in the future. These three themes are linked because our predictive abilities of radionuclide transport require a better knowledge of nuclide cycling, and nuclide cycling can only be studied with the availability of good measurement techniques.