Radiocarbon in Seawater at Radioactive Waste Dumping Sites in the Northeast Atlantic and Northwest Pacific
Radiocarbon has been an important constituent of radioactive wastes dumped in the open ocean and marginal seas as well as wastes released from nuclear reprocessing plants. Therefore, in some regions these sources could have a greater impact on 14 C concentration in seawater than global fallout. The...
| Published in: | Radiocarbon |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2001
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033822200041540 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033822200041540 |
| Summary: | Radiocarbon has been an important constituent of radioactive wastes dumped in the open ocean and marginal seas as well as wastes released from nuclear reprocessing plants. Therefore, in some regions these sources could have a greater impact on 14 C concentration in seawater than global fallout. The high analytical sensitivity of 14 C measurement by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) allows even tracer amounts of 14 C to be found in seawater at radioactive waste dumping sites and their comparison with the global distribution of this radionuclide. Data on measurements of 14 C in samples taken at former dumping sites in the northeast Atlantic and northwest Pacific Oceans and in the open ocean are discussed and compared with other anthropogenic radionuclides, namely 3 H. Small increases in 14 C concentrations observed in some bottom and surface seawater samples collected at the Northwest Pacific Ocean dumping sites require further 14 C analyses before final conclusions can be made on possible leakages from dumped radioactive wastes. |
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