OPEN ACCESS JEP Radioecology: Why Bother?

Copyright © 2014 Emily Amanda Caffrey et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. In accordance of the Creative Commons Attribution License all Copyrights © 2014 are reserved for SCIRP and the owner of the intellectual property Emily Amanda Caffrey et al. All Copyright © 2014 are guarded by law and by SCIRP as a guardian. The importance of radioecology to the discussion of radioactive contamination is discussed here. This paper dis-cusses the history of radioecology, alongside the most recent developments in the science. It describes the need for more environmental data, and explains where the gaps in current knowledge lie. The calculation of radiation dose to wildlife along with the complications in performing such calculations is discussed. The paper also tackles the difficult question of the implications of radioecology on nuclear waste management and site decommissioning policies. From the beginnings of the science to today, radioecology is poised to be an important field of study as humans continue to rely on ionizing radiation to improve their lives