International Arctic Seas Assessment Project (IASAP)

The International Arctic Seas Assessment Project (IASAP) was carried out in 1993-1996 to address concerns over the potential health and environmental impacts of the high level radioactive waste dumping in the shallow waters of the Arctic seas. The aims of the project were to assess the risks to human health and to the environment associated with the radioactive wastes dumped in the Kara and Barents Seas; and examine possible remedial actions related to the dumped wastes and to advise on whether they are necessary and justified. The following results and conclusions were reached from the study: (i) Releases from identified dumped objects are small and localised to the immediate vicinity of the dumping sites. (ii) Projected future doses to members of the public in typical local population groups are very small, less than 1 μSv. Projected future doses to a hypothetical group of military personnel patrolling the foreshore of the fjords in which wastes have been dumped are higher, up to 4000 μSv but still of the same order as the average annual natural background dose. (iii) Doses to marine fauna are insignificant, orders of magnitude below those at which detrimental effects on fauna populations might be expected to occur. (iv) On radiological grounds, remediation is not warranted. (author)