Radioactive contamination in the Arctic—sources, dose assessment and potential risks

Strand, P.; Howard, B.J.; Aarkrog, A.; Balonov, Mikhail; Tsaturov, Yuri; Bewers, J.M.; Salo, A.; Sickel, M.; Bergman, R.; Rissanen, K

doi:10.1016/s0265-931x(01)00093-5

Cited by 46 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Recently reported 137 Cs activities in sea water from the study areas ranged from 2.0 to 3.4 Bq/m 3 (See Table 3 for references) compared to peak values of 20 to 45 Bq/m 3 for the Svalbard area and Barents Sea in the 1980s (Hallstadius et al, 1982;Kershaw and Baxter, 1995;Strand et al, 2002). Although a large number of potential local sources of radionuclide contamination are known in the region (dump sites of nuclear reactors and radioactive waste, atmospheric nuclear bomb testing sites on Novaya Zemlya).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Radiocaesium (137Cs) in marine mammals from Svalbard, the Barents Sea and the North Greenland Sea

Andersen

Gwynn

Dowdall

et al. 2006

Science of The Total Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Specific activities of the anthropogenic radionuclide, 137 Cs, were determined in marine mammals from Svalbard and the Barents and North Greenland Seas. Muscle samples were collected from 12 polar bears, 15 ringed seals, 10 hooded seals, 7 bearded seals, 14 harp seals, one walrus, one white whale and one blue whale in the period 2000-2003. The mean concentrations (F SD) of 137 Cs were: 0.72 F 0.62 Bq/kg wet weight (w.w.) for polar bears; 0.49 F 0.07 Bq/kg w.w. for ringed seals; 0.25 F 0.10 Bq/kg w.w. for hooded seals; 0.22 F 0.11 Bq/kg w.w. for bearded seals; 0.36 F 0.13 Bq/kg w.w. for harp seals; 0.67 Bq/kg w.w. for the white whale sample; 0.24 Bq/kg w.w. for the blue whale; and below detection limit for the walrus. Significant differences in 137 Cs specific activities between some of the species were found. Ringed seals had higher specific activities than the other seal species in the study. Bearded seals and hooded seals had similar values, which were both significantly lower than the harp seal values.The results in the present study are consistent with previous reported results, indicating low specific activities of 137 Cs in Arctic marine mammals in the Barents Sea and Greenland Sea region during the last 20 years. The species specific differences found may be explained by varying diet or movement and distribution patterns between species. No age related patterns were found in specific activities for the two species (polar bears and hooded seals) for which sufficient data was available.Concentration factors (CF) of 137 Cs from seawater were determined for polar bears, ringed, bearded, harp and hooded seals. Mean CF values ranged from 79 F 32 (SD) for bearded seals sampled in 2002 to 244 F 36 (SD) for ringed seals sampled in 2003 these CF values are higher than those reported for fish and benthic organisms in the literature, suggesting bioaccumulation of 137 Cs in the marine ecosystem. D

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Radiocaesium (137Cs) in marine mammals from Svalbard, the Barents Sea and the North Greenland Sea

Andersen

Gwynn

Dowdall

et al. 2006

Science of The Total Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The latitudinal distribution of the atmospheric 90 Sr deposition ([UNSCEAR, 1982]; see Fig. 4) makes it feasible to construct the latitudinal distribution of the atmospheric fallout of 137 Cs, with the fallout of 137 Cs a factor 1.6 higher than that of 90 Sr ( [Strand et al, 1998]). A total of four tracers are included in the simulation; the atmospheric fallout of 137 Cs and 90 Sr, and the Sellafleld discharge of 137 Cs and 90 Sr.…”

Section: The Radionuclides Simulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulating transport of non-Chernobyl 137Cs and 90Sr in the North Atlantic–Arctic region

Gao¹,

Drange

Bentsen

et al. 2004

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The spatial and temporal distributions of the anthropogenic radionuclides 137 Cs and 90 Sr, originating from nuclear bomb testing and the Sellafield reprocessing plants in the Irish Sea, are simulated using a global version of the Miami Isopycnic Coordinate Ocean Model (MICOM). The physical model is forced with daily atmospheric re-analysed fields for the period 1950 to present. Comparison of temporal evolution of observed and simulated concentrations of 137 Cs have been conducted for the regions east of Scotland, west of central Norway and at the entrance of the Barents Sea. It follows that the radionuclides from the Sellafield discharge reach the Barents Sea region after 4-5 years, in accordance with observations. The simulation provides a detailed distribution and evolution of the radionuclides over the integration time. For the Atlantic waters off the coast of Norway and in the southern Barents Sea, the atmospheric fallout dominates over the Sellafield release up to the mid 1960s and from the early 1990s, whereas Sellafield is the main source for the two radionuclides in the 1970s and 1980s. It is furthermore argued that model systems like the one presented here can be used for future prediction of radioactive contaminations in the Nordic Seas and the Arctic Ocean, for instance under various global warming scenarios.

show abstract

“…Perhaps the distribution of 137 Cs was also a result of atmospheric transport and deposition (AMAP 2004;Romanov 2004;Vana 2004;Sapota et al 2009 (Gwynn et al 2004) while the radioactivity of 137 Cs in the North Atlantic water was below 1.5 Bq/m 3 (Gulin and Stokozov 2005) and in the Barents Sea around 3 Bq/m 3 (Strand et al 2002). This is due to the scattering of air masses contaminated with 137 Cs being transported from Chernobyl to the northwest.…”

Section: Jamtveit Et Al 2006)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Barents Sea, the main sources of anthropogenic radioactive contaminants are: atmospheric fallout (including Chernobyl fallout), discharges from the nuclear industry in Europe, assumed contribution from land-based sources in the northern Russia, dumped radioactive material of the former USSR and contribution from the Chernobyl accident via the Baltic Sea (Føyn and Svaeren 1997). Anthropogenic radioactive isotopes as well as their migration are investigated more often because of their potential dangerous influence on humans (UNSCEAR 2000;Strand et al 2002;AMAP 2003AMAP , 2004. Although data concerning natural gamma emitters in Svalbard are still lacking, Gwynn et al (2004) reported 137 Cs concentrations from seawater and sediments from several sites in Kongsfjorden and Isfjorden.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radionuclide activities in sediments on the northern coast of Spitsbergen

Wojtasik¹,

Świrydowicz²,

Burska³

et al. 2017

Polish Polar Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The specific activity of natural gamma emitters like actinium ( 228 Ac), bismuth ( 212 Bi, 214 Bi), lead ( 212 Pb, 214 Pb), potassium ( 40 K), radium ( 224 Ra), thallium ( 208 Tl) and artificial radioisotope caesium ( 137 Cs) was measured in 2005 in the surface layer of marine sediments in the northern Svalbard: Wijdefjorden, Woodfjorden, Vestfjorden and Bockfjorden as well as in the freshwater reservoirs in Andre Land. Nonuniform spatial distribution of these radionuclides was found. Sediment sample from Bockfjorden had the highest specific activities of all natural radionuclides. The specific radioactivity of 137 Cs was much lower than specific radioactivities of natural radionuclides but there were differences between investigated locations. The distribution of 137 Cs is similar to persistent organic pollutants of the lake sediments in the area.

show abstract

Radioactive contamination in the Arctic—sources, dose assessment and potential risks

Cited by 46 publications

References 5 publications

Radiocaesium (137Cs) in marine mammals from Svalbard, the Barents Sea and the North Greenland Sea

Radiocaesium (137Cs) in marine mammals from Svalbard, the Barents Sea and the North Greenland Sea

Simulating transport of non-Chernobyl 137Cs and 90Sr in the North Atlantic–Arctic region

Radionuclide activities in sediments on the northern coast of Spitsbergen

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About