Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination

Analyses of marine and terrestrial samples collected in August 2003 from Bylot Sound at Thule, Northwest Greenland, show that plutonium from nuclear weapons in the American B52 plane, which crashed on the sea ice in January 1968, persists in theenvironment. The highest concentrations of plutonium ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nielsen, Sven Poul, Roos, Per
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Risø National Laboratory 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/aadbd43b-81b5-4c1c-bf90-b65d0e837be7
https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/7703514/ris_r_1549.pdf
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spelling ftdtupubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/aadbd43b-81b5-4c1c-bf90-b65d0e837be7 2023-05-15T16:30:12+02:00 Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination Nielsen, Sven Poul Roos, Per 2006 application/pdf https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/aadbd43b-81b5-4c1c-bf90-b65d0e837be7 https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/7703514/ris_r_1549.pdf eng eng Risø National Laboratory info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Nielsen , S P & Roos , P 2006 , Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination . Denmark. Forskningscenter Risoe. Risoe-R , no. 1549(EN) , Risø National Laboratory , Roskilde . Kompetenceplatforme og videndeling Risø-R-1549 Risø-R-1549(EN) /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water SDG 14 - Life Below Water book 2006 ftdtupubl 2022-08-14T08:08:08Z Analyses of marine and terrestrial samples collected in August 2003 from Bylot Sound at Thule, Northwest Greenland, show that plutonium from nuclear weapons in the American B52 plane, which crashed on the sea ice in January 1968, persists in theenvironment. The highest concentrations of plutonium are found in the marine sediments under the location where the plane crashed. The distribution of plutonium in the marine sediment is very inhomogeneous and associated with hot particles withactivities found up to 1500 Bq 239,240Pu. Sediment samples collected in Wolstenholme Fjord north of the accident site show plutonium concentrations, which illustrates the redistribution of plutonium after the accident. The total plutonium inventory inthe sediments has been assessed based on systematic analyses considering hot particles. The inventory of 239,240Pu in the sediments within a distance of 17 km from the point of impact of the B52 plane is estimated at 2.9 TBq (1 kg). Earlier estimates ofthe inventory were approximately 1.4 TBq 239,240Pu. Seawater and seaweed samples show increased concentrations of plutonium in Bylot Sound. The increased concentrations are due to resuspension of plutonium-containing particles from the seabed andtransport further away from the area. Plutonium concentrations in seawater, seaweed and benthic animals in Bylot Sound are low but clearly above background levels. All soil samples collected from Narssarssuk show accident plutonium with levels abovebackground. Plutonium is very inhomogeneously distributed and associated with particles in the surface layers. Hot particles were found in soil with activities up to 150 Bq 239,240Pu. Plutonium in the marine environment at Thule presents an insignificantrisk to man. Most plutonium remains in the seabed under Bylot Sound far from man under relatively stable conditions and concentrations of plutonium in seawater and animals are low. However, the plutonium contamination of surface soil at Narssarssuk couldconstitute a small risk to humans visiting the ... Book Greenland Sea ice Thule Wolstenholme fjord Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit Greenland Wolstenholme Fjord ENVELOPE(-68.650,-68.650,76.628,76.628) Bylot Sound ENVELOPE(-69.746,-69.746,76.414,76.414)
institution Open Polar
collection Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit
op_collection_id ftdtupubl
language English
topic Kompetenceplatforme og videndeling
Risø-R-1549
Risø-R-1549(EN)
/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water
SDG 14 - Life Below Water
spellingShingle Kompetenceplatforme og videndeling
Risø-R-1549
Risø-R-1549(EN)
/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water
SDG 14 - Life Below Water
Nielsen, Sven Poul
Roos, Per
Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination
topic_facet Kompetenceplatforme og videndeling
Risø-R-1549
Risø-R-1549(EN)
/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water
SDG 14 - Life Below Water
description Analyses of marine and terrestrial samples collected in August 2003 from Bylot Sound at Thule, Northwest Greenland, show that plutonium from nuclear weapons in the American B52 plane, which crashed on the sea ice in January 1968, persists in theenvironment. The highest concentrations of plutonium are found in the marine sediments under the location where the plane crashed. The distribution of plutonium in the marine sediment is very inhomogeneous and associated with hot particles withactivities found up to 1500 Bq 239,240Pu. Sediment samples collected in Wolstenholme Fjord north of the accident site show plutonium concentrations, which illustrates the redistribution of plutonium after the accident. The total plutonium inventory inthe sediments has been assessed based on systematic analyses considering hot particles. The inventory of 239,240Pu in the sediments within a distance of 17 km from the point of impact of the B52 plane is estimated at 2.9 TBq (1 kg). Earlier estimates ofthe inventory were approximately 1.4 TBq 239,240Pu. Seawater and seaweed samples show increased concentrations of plutonium in Bylot Sound. The increased concentrations are due to resuspension of plutonium-containing particles from the seabed andtransport further away from the area. Plutonium concentrations in seawater, seaweed and benthic animals in Bylot Sound are low but clearly above background levels. All soil samples collected from Narssarssuk show accident plutonium with levels abovebackground. Plutonium is very inhomogeneously distributed and associated with particles in the surface layers. Hot particles were found in soil with activities up to 150 Bq 239,240Pu. Plutonium in the marine environment at Thule presents an insignificantrisk to man. Most plutonium remains in the seabed under Bylot Sound far from man under relatively stable conditions and concentrations of plutonium in seawater and animals are low. However, the plutonium contamination of surface soil at Narssarssuk couldconstitute a small risk to humans visiting the ...
format Book
author Nielsen, Sven Poul
Roos, Per
author_facet Nielsen, Sven Poul
Roos, Per
author_sort Nielsen, Sven Poul
title Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination
title_short Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination
title_full Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination
title_fullStr Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination
title_full_unstemmed Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination
title_sort thule-2003 - investigation of radioactive contamination
publisher Risø National Laboratory
publishDate 2006
url https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/aadbd43b-81b5-4c1c-bf90-b65d0e837be7
https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/7703514/ris_r_1549.pdf
long_lat ENVELOPE(-68.650,-68.650,76.628,76.628)
ENVELOPE(-69.746,-69.746,76.414,76.414)
geographic Greenland
Wolstenholme Fjord
Bylot Sound
geographic_facet Greenland
Wolstenholme Fjord
Bylot Sound
genre Greenland
Sea ice
Thule
Wolstenholme fjord
genre_facet Greenland
Sea ice
Thule
Wolstenholme fjord
op_source Nielsen , S P & Roos , P 2006 , Thule-2003 - Investigation of radioactive contamination . Denmark. Forskningscenter Risoe. Risoe-R , no. 1549(EN) , Risø National Laboratory , Roskilde .
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
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