from Nuclear Wastes in the Arctic
Although popular perceptions of the Arctic might characterize it as a pristine area, it has become increasingly clear that this important ecosystem has not avoided the effects of industrialization and development. Evidence of contamination by persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and radioact...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.135.7599 http://www.princeton.edu/~ota/disk1/1995/9504/950404.PDF |
| Summary: | Although popular perceptions of the Arctic might characterize it as a pristine area, it has become increasingly clear that this important ecosystem has not avoided the effects of industrialization and development. Evidence of contamination by persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and radioactivity has been gathered since the 1950s but has not garnered a great deal of public attention. However, in the last three years a tremendous amount of attention has been directed toward assessing the extent of, and identifying possible remedies to, the environmental contamination problem in the Arctic from Russian nuclear sources. Although the activities of several different countries have released radionuclides into the Arctic environment for decades, news of ocean dumping of submarine reactors and nuclear wastes by the former Soviet Union has generated particular interest and concern because it revealed previously secret activities and enhanced the traditional public fear of radioactivity. This chapter analyzes available information about the wastes dumped in the Arctic and North Pacific, what is known of their contribution to contamination of the marine environment, and the research efforts needed to address unanswered questions. Chapter 3 discusses the infor- |
|---|