Challenges in radioecology following the new trends in UAE’s agriculture and environmental changes: a review

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2024-10, Vol.31 (49), p.58779-58794
• Main Authors: Mihalik, Jan, Chelaifa, Houda, Alzaabi, Mouza, Alkaabi, Ahmed K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidental release; Agriculture; Aquatic Pollution; Arid zones; Aridity; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioavailability; Climate change; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental changes; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental impact; Environmental monitoring; Halophytes; Human influences; Humans; Industrial development; Nuclear facilities; Radiation Monitoring; Radioactive contamination; Radioactive pollution; Radioactivity; Radioecology; Radioisotopes; Reservoirs; Review; Review Article; Risk assessment; Saline soils; Sandy soils; Soil water; Temperate zones; Topsoil; Trends; United Arab Emirates; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-35139-z

The development of the nuclear industry in the countries of the Arabian Gulf demands an investigation of its potential impact on the environment and human activities. It should involve routine monitoring of radionuclide from existing nuclear facilities as well as modelling of accidental release of radioactivity. Agriculture is usually considered the human activity which is the most endangered with radioactive pollution. Although the traditional concept of low-developed agriculture in the United Arab Emirates has been already described from a radioecological point of view, herein, the recent trends of agriculture are recorded. Due to climatic changes and population increase, the use of saline lands will be more pressing. Apart from it, the risk assessment for nuclear events, which was formed mainly for temperate zones, neglected another aspect of arid zones which is underground water reservoirs refilled with episodic heavy rains. The sandy or saline soils are not an effective barrier for the migration of radionuclide deposited in topsoil. A hypersaline environment could prevent the adsorption of radionuclide on soil particles and allow their high bioavailability for halophyte plants. The new principal challenges in radioecological research in arid zones are impacts on (i) saline agriculture, (ii) underground water reservoirs, and (iii) proposal for countermeasures in order to minimise the impact of radioactive contamination.