The Influence of Low-Level Radioactivity on Benthic Diatom Communities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61704/pr.563Keywords:
Low-Level Radioactivity, Diatoms, Mineral Springs, Wetlands, Aquatic EcologyAbstract
Low-level ionising radiation is a persistent environmental factor in many freshwater ecosystems, particularly in mineral springs and areas affected by historical uranium mining. However, its ecological effects under natural field conditions remain poorly quantified. This study investigates the influence of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TE-NORM) on benthic diatom communities using field observations from mineral springs and a former uranium mining wetland in Southern Iraq. Diatom assemblages were analysed using morphological and genetic approaches and related to environmental and radiological parameters. Results indicate that radioactivity contributes to the structuring of diatom communities by influencing species dominance and composition, while overall species richness is primarily controlled by physico-chemical conditions. Low-level radioactivity therefore acts as a chronic ecological constraint rather than an acute stressor.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ali B. Azeez, Zahra I. DallalBashi
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Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). You may not alter or transform this work in any way without permission from the authors. Non-commercial use, distribution, and copying are permitted, provided that appropriate credit is given to the authors and Al-Hadba University.
