Plutonium in fish, algae and sediments in the Barents, Petshora and Kara Seas

This work contributes to the joint research programme between the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute in the Arctic. Attention has been focussed to measuring amounts and locating possible sources of artificial radionuclides in the Russian Arctic Sea area. Sediments, algae, bottom fauna and fish samples were collected during several scientific expeditions in 1993 and 1994. The first results on plutonium concentration in fish, algae and sediment samples are presented in this paper. All the observed plutonium content in the fish of the Russian Arctic Sea areas investigated were at the same level as in earlier studies of fish and sea animals in the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Sea areas, and they do not show any exceptional concentrations in fish in the Russian arctic area studied. Sediment samples collected at the outlet of the Ob and Yenisey rivers did not show any exceptional plutonium concentrations. In all the sea areas studied 238Pu/239,240Pu isotope ratios suggested a global fallout origin. 13 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs