Levels and trends of radioactive contaminants in the Greenland environment

Title: Levels and trends of radioactive contaminants in the Greenland environment

Author: Henning Dahlgaard, Mats Eriksson, Sven P. Nielsen, Hans Pauli Joensen

Reference: Science of the Total Environment. Sep2004, Vol. 331 Issue 1-3, p53-67. 15p.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.03.023

Keywords: Caesium-137; Strontium-90; Technetium-99; Plutonium-239-240; Polonium-210; Greenland; Environmental radioactivity

Abstract: Levels of radioactive contaminants in various Greenland environments have been assessed during 1999–2001. The source of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr and ^239,240Pu in terrestrial and fresh water environments is mainly global fallout. In addition, the Chernobyl accident gave a small contribution of ¹³⁷Cs. Reindeer and lamb contain the largest observed ¹³⁷Cs concentrations in the terrestrial environment—up to 80 Bq kg⁻¹ fresh weight have been observed in reindeer. Due to special environmental conditions, ¹³⁷Cs is transferred to landlocked Arctic char with extremely high efficiency in South Greenland leading to concentrations up to 100 Bq kg⁻¹ fresh weight. In these cases very long ecological half-lives are seen. Concentrations of ⁹⁹Tc, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr in seawater and in marine biota decrease in the order North-East Greenland and the coastal East Greenland current>South-West Greenland>Central West Greenland and North-West Greenland>Irmiger Sea∼Faroe Islands. The general large-scale oceanic circulation combined with European coastal discharges and previous contamination of the Arctic Ocean causes this.

URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969704002025

The Chernobyl Forum: major findings and recommendations

Title: The Chernobyl Forum: major findings and recommendations
Author: Balonov, M.I.,

Reference: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 96 (1-3), p.6-12, Jul 2007

doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2007.01.015

Keywords: Chernobyl accident; Health effects; Environmental radioactivity; Countermeasures

Abstract: …The recently completed Chernobyl Forum concluded that after a number of years, along with reduction of radiation levels and accumulation of humanitarian consequences, severe social and economic depression of the affected regions and associated psychological problems of the general public and the workers had become the most significant problem to be addressed by the authorities. The majority of the affected land is now safe for life and economic activities. However, in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and in some limited areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine some restrictions on land-use should be retained for decades to come.…

URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0265931X07000641