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The Radiological Environment of Svalbard

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The Radiological Environment of Svalbard Strålevern Rapport 2004:2 The Radiological Environment of Svalbard Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority Postboks 55 N-1332 Østerås Norway Reference: Gwynn J.P., Dowdall M., Lind B. The Radiological Environment of Svalbard. StrålevernRapport 2004:2. Østerås: Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, 2004. Key words: Arctic, radioactivity, Svalbard Abstract: This report details the monitoring of radioactivity by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority on the Svalbard archipelago. Results indicate contamination of both the terrestrial and marine environment with a variety of isotopes from a variety of sources and highlight the continued contamination of Svalbard with radioactive materials from European nuclear facilities. The role of Arctic specific processes in the occurrence and behaviour of contaminant radionuclides is also investigated. Referanse: Gwynn J.P., Dowdall M., Lind B. The Radiological Environment of Svalbard. StrålevernRapport 2004:2. Østerås: Statens strålevern, 2004. Språk: engelsk. Emneord: Arktis, radioaktivitet, Svalbard Resymé: Denne rapporten redegjør for Statens stråleverns overvåkning av radioaktivitet på Svalbardøygruppen. Resultater gir uttrykk for at både det terrestriske og det marine miljøet har blitt forurenset med en rekke isotoper fra forskjellige kilder og framhever den fortsatte forurensningen av Svalbard med radioaktive materialer fra europeiske kjernefysiske anlegg. Rollen til prosesser som er spesielle for Arktis når det gjelder forekomst og oppførsel til forurensende radionuklider blir også undersøkt. Head of project: Tone Bergan. Approved: Per Strand, Director, Department for Emergency Preparedness and Environmental Radioactivity. 56 pages. Published 2004-02-20. Printed number 200 (04-02). Cover design: Lobo Media AS, Oslo. Printed by Lobo Media AS, Oslo. Orders to: Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, P.O. Box 55, N-1332 Østerås, Norway. Telephone +47 67 16 25 00, fax + 47 67 14 74 07. www.nrpa.no ISSN 0804-4910 StrålevernRapport Contents 1. Introduction 1 1.1 The Svalbard Archipelago 3 1.2 Principal Sites of Investigation 5 1.2.1 Kongsfjorden 5 1.2.2 Hopen and Bjørnøya 6 1.3 Sources of Radionuclides to the Svalbard Environment 7 1.3.1 Fallout from Nuclear Weapon Testing 8 1.3.2 Discharges from European Reprocessing Plants 8 1.3.3 Chernobyl Accident 9 1.3.4 Other Actual and Potential Anthropogenic Sources 10 1.3.5 Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) 13 1.3.6 Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive 13 Material (TENORM) 1.4 The Vulnerability of the Svalbard Terrestrial and Marine 14 Environments to Radionuclide Contamination 1.5 Previous Radiological Investigations of Svalbard 17 1.5.1 Radioactive Contamination of the Marine Environment of Svalbard 17 1.5.2 Radioactive Contamination of the Terrestrial Environment of Svalbard 19 2. Current Levels of Radioactive Contamination in the Environment of Svalbard 20 2.1 Levels of Radionuclides in the Marine Environment of Svalbard 20 2.1.1 99Tc in Seawater 20 2.1.2 137Cs in Seawater and Sediments 22 2.1.3 238Pu, 239+240Pu and 241Am in Seawater 23 2.1.4 99Tc and 137Cs in Seaweed 24 2.2 Levels of Radionuclides in the Terrestrial Environment of Svalbard 26 2.2.1 Levels of Radionuclides in Soil 27 2.2.2 Coal and Coal wastes 29 2.2.3 Terrestrial Plants 29 2.3 Localised Enrichment of Radionuclides within Kongsfjorden 31 2.4 Ambient dose levels 34 3. Conclusions 36 References 37 APPENDIX I 46 Sampling - Terrestrial 46 Sampling - Marine 46 APPENDIX II 47 Laboratory Preparation of Soil and Vegetation Samples 47 Analysis – Gamma 47 137Cs: Analysis in seawater 48 99Tc: Analysis 48 Pu and Am: Analysis 50 ii 1. Introduction The common perception of the Arctic as a anthropogenic doses are subsequently pristine wilderness and the vulnerability of its superimposed. Fundamental to both of these ecosystems have contributed to an increase in concepts is a need for an improvement in the the amount of interest and attention focused on amount and the quality of information relating these regions. Much of this attention has been in to the current level of radionuclides in High relation to pollutant levels in the Arctic and its Arctic environmental components and a ecosystems, with radioactive contaminants being focussing of attention towards site-specific one of the most often discussed suite of processes influencing the behaviour and pollutants. A number of factors have influenced occurrence of radionuclides in constituent the current focus on radioactivity within the matrices therein. Of added importance in the Arctic regions, as evidenced by the radiological consideration of the impact of radioactivity on components of both the International Arctic the Arctic environment is the acute sensitivity of Environmental Protection Strategy (IAEPS) and public perception to levels of radioactive the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment contamination. Given the productivity of the Programme (AMAP, 1993). These include the Arctic marine environment and the importance relatively large number of sources of both actual of that productivity to a number of industries, it and potential nuclear contamination that exist in is imperative to ensure public confidence with the Arctic, the particular vulnerability of Arctic respect to levels of radioactive contamination in ecosystems to nuclear contamination (Wright et the Arctic. al., 1997) and the relative lack of knowledge with Current models pertaining to global climate respect to both the occurrence and behaviour of change indicate that global warming will be most radioactive contaminants in High Arctic acute in Polar Regions. This change in climate ecosystems and the effects of even low levels of will most likely result in changes in the extent of radioactivity on High Arctic biota. sea ice, increased thawing of permafrost and Although historically, the emphasis of melting of polar ice masses. The impact of radiological protection has been directed predicted changes in climatic conditions on the towards health impacts on humans, the need for transport of radionuclides to, from and within developing a system for assessment of the Arctic and their behaviour within pertinent radiological impacts to both flora and fauna has ecosystem components is relatively unclear at come to the fore in recent times. This shift in present (McDonald et al., 2003). However, a emphasis has largely been due to the realisation significant impact is likely to occur with that the previous philosophy of environmental reference to the radiological dose received by radioprotection, encapsulated in the phrase “if Arctic residents and biota from the naturally man is protected, then the environment is protected”, is occurring radionuclides in the 226Ra decay chain not sufficient to ensure the protection of biota that results in the production of 222Rn, 210Pb and from the effects of radiation (Pentreath, 1999). 210Po. Changes in the snow and ice cover of the Related to this change in focus is the concept terrestrial Arctic environment and concomitant that the assessment of the impacts of changes in permafrost may result in an increase anthropogenic radioactive contaminants on the in the ambient dose due to these nuclides. environment in general, and the Arctic in Predicted increase in the dose from increased particular, can only be conducted with reference exhalation of 222Rn due to melting of permafrost to the intrinsic natural dose commitment upon is of the order of a factor of 2 – 3 (McDonald et which any further al., 2003). 1 As part of the national terrestrial and marine surveillance programme undertaken by the NRPA on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment, this report presents data concerning levels of anthropogenic (technetium- 99, cesium-137, plutonium-238, plutonium- 239+240 and americium-241) and natural (uranium-238, radium-266, thorium-232 and potassium-40) radionuclides from both the marine and the terrestrial environment in and around the Svalbard archipelago, which shall be followed by a separate report dealing with levels Figure 1. Although often considered to be a pristine of radionuclides in Arctic faunal species. wilderness, the Arctic exhibits a variety of pollutants including a number of radioactive isotopes. Arctic Svalbard, in comparison with the Norwegian ecosystems are especially vulnerable to radioactive mainland, has received little attention with contamination due to both the large number of actual and potential sources of such contaminants and the efficiency regard to the levels and behaviour of with which radioactive contamination can be accumulated radionuclides in the marine and terrestrial and transferred within Arctic food chains. environments. A search of the available literature reveals only a limited number of previous studies that report levels of radionuclides in Svalbard The uncertainty surrounding the impact of marine and terrestrial matrices. This is especially climate change on the radioecological situation true for the terrestrial environment, for which in the Arctic warrants more extensive little information exists on current monitoring and research to further elucidate contamination levels and on the behaviour of how climate change and its effects will manifest radionuclides within this High Arctic themselves with respect to the occurrence and environment. Of the previous studies that have behaviour of radionuclides in the Arctic been reported, the majority were conducted in environment. the 1980’s and were severely limited both in their With a view towards bridging the information
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