Marine radioactivity assessment of Mururoa and Fangataufa atolls
Creators
- Povinec, P.P.1
- Dovlete, C.1
- Gastaud, J.1
- Ikeuchi, Y.1
- Wee Kwong, L.L.1
- Mulsow, S.1
- Pettersson, H.1
- Woodhead, D.2
- Blowers, P.2
- Bonfield, R.2
- Smedley, P.2
- Taylor, B.2
- Cooper, M.3
- Chen, Q.4
- Dahlgaard, H.4
- Fox, V.5
- Morgenstern, U.5
- Taylor, C.5
- Froehlich, K.6
- Groening, M.6
- Hamilton, T.7
- Kanisch, G.8
- Krueger, A.8
- Matthews, M.9
- Tinker, R.9
- 1. Marine Environment Laboratory, International Atomic Energy Agency, 4 Quai Antoine 1er, MC 98000 (Monaco)
- 2. CEFAS Lowestoft Laboratory, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft (United Kingdom)
- 3. Australian Radiation Laboratory, Lower Plenty Road, Yallambie (Australia)
- 4. Health Physics Department, Riso National Laboratory, P.O. Box 49, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark)
- 5. Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, 30 Gracefield Road, Lower Hutt (New Zealand)
- 6. Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramerstrasse 5, A-1400 Vienna (Austria)
- 7. Health and Ecological Assessment Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA (United States)
- 8. Federal Fisheries Research Centre, Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Wuestland 2, D-22589 Hamburg (Germany)
- 9. National Radiation Laboratory, 108 Victoria Street, Christchurch (New Zealand)
Description
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) carried out an international project 'The Study of the Radiological Situation at the Atolls of Mururoa and Fangataufa' with the aim of assessing the present and future radiological situation at the atolls and making recommendations for either monitoring or remedial actions if they are deemed necessary. The paper concentrates on marine radioactivity aspects and gives an estimation of present radionuclide concentrations in water, sediment and biota of the Mururoa and Fangataufa lagoons and the surrounding ocean. The dominant radionuclide in both lagoons is Pu in sediments (the total inventory is approximately 30 TBq). A decline in radionuclide concentrations has been observed in recent years in lagoon water, with the exception of 3H and 90Sr, for which a contribution from underground sources is to be expected. Radionuclide concentrations in biota from the lagoons and the surrounding ocean are low and consistent with previous measurements. The observed radionuclide concentrations in both lagoons imply that no radiological risk exists for hypothetical inhabitants of Mururoa and Fangataufa Atolls
Additional details
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Science of the Total Environment
- Journal Volume
- 237-238
- Journal Issue
- 0
- Journal Page Range
- p. 249-267
- ISSN
- 0048-9697
INIS
- Country of Publication
- Netherlands
- Country of Input or Organization
- Netherlands
- INIS RN
- 30052860
- Subject category
- S54: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES;
- Descriptors DEI
- HELIUM 3; MARINE DISPOSAL; OCEANIA; PLUTONIUM; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADIOISOTOPES; RISK ASSESSMENT; SEDIMENTS; STRONTIUM 90
- Descriptors DEC
- ACTINIDES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ELEMENTS; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; HELIUM ISOTOPES; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MANAGEMENT; METALS; MONITORING; NUCLEI; RADIOISOTOPES; STABLE ISOTOPES; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES