Objective
In response to recent revelations concerning the disposal of radioactive waste in the Barents and the Kara Seas, and the ensuing public outcry, a multidisciplinary collaboration has been assembled with the overall goal of assessing the radiological consequences of future radionuclide contamination of the Arctic marine ecosystem. A study of the published literature has shown that relatively little is yet known about the processes which control radionuclide behaviour in the extreme environmental conditions which prevail in this highly sensitive ecosystem. Detailed knowledge of the mechanisms governing the release, dispersion, biological uptake and ultimate fate of a broad range of radionuclides under these conditions is clearly an essential pre-requisite to the development of a process-oriented model with which to evaluate the long-term consequences of past and potential releases of radioactivity to the Arctic.
To this end, model-directed sampling campaigns will be undertaken in the Arctic, and extensive data on radionuclide contamination and transfer mechanisms will be collected, interpreted and, in the first instance, used to refine and validate a recently-developed dynamic model designed specifically for the north-east Atlantic and the Arctic Seas, namely the NRPB-RIS0-NRPA compartmental model. These research actions will provide detailed information on processes, mechanisms and kinetics essential for (A) predicting likely short- and long-term radiation doses to humans, and (B) ensuring that future policy decisions on the management of radioactive waste in the marine environment are made on the basis of the best possible scientific understanding.
In this programme, key scientific objectives, crucial to the achievement of the overall goal, have been identified and assigned as major research tasks, each supported by a comprehensive and integrated work package of collaborative character. All are considered accomplishable within the proposed time frame. They include: (1) a rigorous assessment of the scope of the current Arctic database, including models; (2) the design of model-directed sampling campaigns and experiments, including QA/QC; (3) an examination of the short-term reactivity of radionuclides upon input into the Arctic; (4) an analysis of radionuclide reactivity within the Arctic water column (shelf seas and deep ocean); (5) an analysis of reactivity at the fresh water - sea water interface in estuaries; (6) an analysis of reactivity at the sediment - sea water interface (post-depositional processes); (7) the measurement of fluxes, mixing layer processes and advective transport; (8) the elucidation of transfer processes to living species, including man; (9) the refinement and validation of a compartmental model for the Arctic and prediction of the likely consequences of Arctic contamination; and (lO) the publication of results and archiving of data.
In our opinion, the proposal outlined here provides the most practical, realistic and efficient method of utilising available resources building, as it does, on the existing knowledge base while avoiding unnecessary duplication of previous RTD. Further, we are confident that it conforms fully with the spirit and scope of the forthcoming Nuclear Fission Safety Programme, in that it specifically addresses activity area D namely, radiological impact on man and the environment, one of whose stated objectives is an assessment of the potential consequences of contamination of Arctic waters due to the disposal of various radioactive sources.
Programme(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
4 Dublin
Ireland