Women in radiation (WiR)-a perspective for the strengthening of radiation protection.

Gender balance refers to the equitable treatment and access to opportunities for all genders. In order to achieve true gender balance, a variety of proactive approaches developed collaboratively, with insight from multiple perspectives, need to be implemented. With that purpose, the participation of women in professions related to radiation and radiation protection was prioritised and given high visibility by allocating a 'Women in Radiation' (WiR) Special Session at the 15th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA), hosted by South Korea on 20 January 2021.

Radionuclides and stable elements in vegetation in Australian arid environments: Concentration ratios and seasonal variation.

Data on the uptake of elements and radionuclides by flora from soils in arid environments are underrepresented in international databases, especially when comparing across seasons. This study improved the understanding on the uptake of natural uranium-series radionuclides, as well as more than 30 elements, in a range of Australian native flora species that are internationally representative of an arid/semi-arid zone (e.g.

Be and Pb wet/dry deposition in Melbourne, Australia and the development of deployable units for radiological emergency monitoring.

A large stainless-steel collection tray (with a surface area of one square metre) was purpose built and mounted on the roof of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) building at Yallambie, Victoria, Australia. Using this system two years' worth of wet/dry deposition samples have been collected and analysed. Smaller portable units were also developed for deployment in an emergency and/or for environmental monitoring.

Whole-organism concentration ratios in wildlife inhabiting Australian uranium mining environments.

Wildlife concentration ratios for Ra, Pb, Po and isotopes of Th and U from soil, water, and sediments were evaluated for a range of Australian uranium mining environments. Whole-organism concentration ratios (CR) were developed for 271 radionuclide-organism pairs within the terrestrial and freshwater wildlife groups. Australian wildlife often has distinct physiological attributes, such as the lower metabolic rates of macropod marsupials as compared with placental mammals.