1
|
Beard DB, Baccolo G, Clason CC, Millward GE, Łokas E, Di Stefano E, Rangecroft S, Sala D, Wachniew P, Blake WH. Accumulation of Environmental Radioactivity on the Surface of a High Arctic Ice Cap (Flade Isblink, NE Greenland). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58. [PMID: 39105719 PMCID: PMC11428132 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Under climatic warming, glaciers are becoming a secondary source of atmospheric contaminants originally released into the environment decades ago. This phenomenon has been well-documented for glaciers near emission sources. However, less is known about polar ice sheets and ice caps. Radionuclides are one of the contaminants that can be remobilised through ice melting and accumulate in cryoconite material on the surface of glaciers. To understand the cycling of radionuclides in polar glacial contexts, we evaluate the radioactivity of cryoconite samples from Flade Isblink, a High Arctic ice cap in northeast Greenland. The measured radioactivity is among the highest reported across the High Arctic and the highest from Greenland. The high variability observed among the samples is explained by considering the different macroscopic features of single cryoconite deposits. The radioactivity source is compatible with the stratospheric reservoir established during atmospheric nuclear tests and with weapons-grade fissile fuel, likely originating from Novaya Zemlya proving grounds. This study shows that the ability of cryoconite to accumulate radioactivity in remote areas is undisputed, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of the remobilisation of radioactive species in polar glacial contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dylan B. Beard
- School
of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, U.K.
| | - Giovanni Baccolo
- Laboratory
of Environmental Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen 5232, Switzerland
- Oeschger
Centre for Climate Change Research, University
of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | | | - Geoffrey E. Millward
- School
of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, U.K.
| | - Edyta Łokas
- Institute
of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków 31342, Poland
| | - Elena Di Stefano
- Physics Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano 20126, Italy
| | | | - Dariusz Sala
- Institute
of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków 31342, Poland
| | - Przemysław Wachniew
- Faculty
of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Krakow, Kraków 30059, Poland
| | - William H. Blake
- School
of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, U.K.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Steinhauser G. Environmental nuclear forensics: the need for a new scientific discipline. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:16901-16903. [PMID: 31049856 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-04877-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Georg Steinhauser
- Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, 30419, Hannover, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
|
4
|
Rosenberg BL, Shozugawa K, Steinhauser G. Detection of Fuel Release in a Nuclear Accident: A Method for Preconcentration and Isolation of Reactor-Borne 239Np Using Ion-Specific Extraction Chromatography. Anal Chem 2015; 87:8651-6. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b02265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brett L. Rosenberg
- Environmental
and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, 1618
Campus Delivery, 80523 Fort Collins, Colorado United States
| | - Katsumi Shozugawa
- Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Georg Steinhauser
- Environmental
and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, 1618
Campus Delivery, 80523 Fort Collins, Colorado United States
| |
Collapse
|