Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments
Cryoconite is rich in natural and artificial radioactivity, but a discussion about its ability to accumulate radionuclides is lacking. A characterization of cryoconite from two Alpine glaciers is presented here. Results confirm that cryoconite is significantly more radioactive than the matrices usua...
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ftsouthampton:oai:eprints.soton.ac.uk:438177 2023-07-30T04:07:15+02:00 Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments Baccolo, Giovanni Łokas, Edyta Gaca, Paweł Massabò, Dario Ambrosini, Roberto Azzoni, Roberto S. Clason, Caroline Di Mauro, Biagio Franzetti, Andrea Nastasi, Massimiliano Prata, Michele Prati, Paolo Previtali, Ezio Delmonte, Barbara Maggi, Valter 2020-02-14 text https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/438177/ https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/438177/1/tc_14_657_2020.pdf en English eng https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/438177/1/tc_14_657_2020.pdf Baccolo, Giovanni, Łokas, Edyta, Gaca, Paweł, Massabò, Dario, Ambrosini, Roberto, Azzoni, Roberto S., Clason, Caroline, Di Mauro, Biagio, Franzetti, Andrea, Nastasi, Massimiliano, Prata, Michele, Prati, Paolo, Previtali, Ezio, Delmonte, Barbara and Maggi, Valter (2020) Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments. The Cryosphere, 14 (2), 657-672. (doi:10.5194/tc-14-657-2020 <http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-657-2020>). cc_by_4 Article PeerReviewed 2020 ftsouthampton https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-657-2020 2023-07-09T22:34:45Z Cryoconite is rich in natural and artificial radioactivity, but a discussion about its ability to accumulate radionuclides is lacking. A characterization of cryoconite from two Alpine glaciers is presented here. Results confirm that cryoconite is significantly more radioactive than the matrices usually adopted for the environmental monitoring of radioactivity, such as lichens and mosses, with activity concentrations exceeding 10 000 Bq kg−1 for single radionuclides. This makes cryoconite an ideal matrix to investigate the deposition and occurrence of radioactive species in glacial environments. In addition, cryoconite can be used to track environmental radioactivity sources. We have exploited atomic and activity ratios of artificial radionuclides to identify the sources of the anthropogenic radioactivity accumulated in our samples. The signature of cryoconite from different Alpine glaciers is compatible with the stratospheric global fallout and Chernobyl accident products. Differences are found when considering other geographic contexts. A comparison with data from literature shows that Alpine cryoconite is strongly influenced by the Chernobyl fallout, while cryoconite from other regions is more impacted by events such as nuclear test explosions and satellite reentries. To explain the accumulation of radionuclides in cryoconite, the glacial environment as a whole must be considered, and particularly the interaction between ice, meltwater, cryoconite and atmospheric deposition. We hypothesize that the impurities originally preserved into ice and mobilized with meltwater during summer, including radionuclides, are accumulated in cryoconite because of their affinity for organic matter, which is abundant in cryoconite. In relation to these processes, we have explored the possibility of exploiting radioactivity to date cryoconite. Article in Journal/Newspaper The Cryosphere University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton The Cryosphere 14 2 657 672 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton |
op_collection_id |
ftsouthampton |
language |
English |
description |
Cryoconite is rich in natural and artificial radioactivity, but a discussion about its ability to accumulate radionuclides is lacking. A characterization of cryoconite from two Alpine glaciers is presented here. Results confirm that cryoconite is significantly more radioactive than the matrices usually adopted for the environmental monitoring of radioactivity, such as lichens and mosses, with activity concentrations exceeding 10 000 Bq kg−1 for single radionuclides. This makes cryoconite an ideal matrix to investigate the deposition and occurrence of radioactive species in glacial environments. In addition, cryoconite can be used to track environmental radioactivity sources. We have exploited atomic and activity ratios of artificial radionuclides to identify the sources of the anthropogenic radioactivity accumulated in our samples. The signature of cryoconite from different Alpine glaciers is compatible with the stratospheric global fallout and Chernobyl accident products. Differences are found when considering other geographic contexts. A comparison with data from literature shows that Alpine cryoconite is strongly influenced by the Chernobyl fallout, while cryoconite from other regions is more impacted by events such as nuclear test explosions and satellite reentries. To explain the accumulation of radionuclides in cryoconite, the glacial environment as a whole must be considered, and particularly the interaction between ice, meltwater, cryoconite and atmospheric deposition. We hypothesize that the impurities originally preserved into ice and mobilized with meltwater during summer, including radionuclides, are accumulated in cryoconite because of their affinity for organic matter, which is abundant in cryoconite. In relation to these processes, we have explored the possibility of exploiting radioactivity to date cryoconite. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Baccolo, Giovanni Łokas, Edyta Gaca, Paweł Massabò, Dario Ambrosini, Roberto Azzoni, Roberto S. Clason, Caroline Di Mauro, Biagio Franzetti, Andrea Nastasi, Massimiliano Prata, Michele Prati, Paolo Previtali, Ezio Delmonte, Barbara Maggi, Valter |
spellingShingle |
Baccolo, Giovanni Łokas, Edyta Gaca, Paweł Massabò, Dario Ambrosini, Roberto Azzoni, Roberto S. Clason, Caroline Di Mauro, Biagio Franzetti, Andrea Nastasi, Massimiliano Prata, Michele Prati, Paolo Previtali, Ezio Delmonte, Barbara Maggi, Valter Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments |
author_facet |
Baccolo, Giovanni Łokas, Edyta Gaca, Paweł Massabò, Dario Ambrosini, Roberto Azzoni, Roberto S. Clason, Caroline Di Mauro, Biagio Franzetti, Andrea Nastasi, Massimiliano Prata, Michele Prati, Paolo Previtali, Ezio Delmonte, Barbara Maggi, Valter |
author_sort |
Baccolo, Giovanni |
title |
Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments |
title_short |
Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments |
title_full |
Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments |
title_fullStr |
Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments |
title_sort |
cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/438177/ https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/438177/1/tc_14_657_2020.pdf |
genre |
The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
The Cryosphere |
op_relation |
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/438177/1/tc_14_657_2020.pdf Baccolo, Giovanni, Łokas, Edyta, Gaca, Paweł, Massabò, Dario, Ambrosini, Roberto, Azzoni, Roberto S., Clason, Caroline, Di Mauro, Biagio, Franzetti, Andrea, Nastasi, Massimiliano, Prata, Michele, Prati, Paolo, Previtali, Ezio, Delmonte, Barbara and Maggi, Valter (2020) Cryoconite: an efficient accumulator of radioactive fallout in glacial environments. The Cryosphere, 14 (2), 657-672. (doi:10.5194/tc-14-657-2020 <http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-657-2020>). |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-657-2020 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
657 |
op_container_end_page |
672 |
_version_ |
1772820470605807616 |