Radioactive contamination of the Arctic Region, Baltic Sea, and the Sea of Japan from activities in the former Soviet Union

• Main Author: Bradley, D. J.
• Other Authors: United States. Department of Energy.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Pacific Northwest Laboratory 1992
• Subjects: Waste Disposal And Storage; Radioactive Materials Monitoring And Transport; Radioactive Waste Facilities; Radioactive Effluents; 12 Management Of Radioactive And Non-Radioactive Wastes From Nuclear Facilities; Nuclear Ships; Radioactive Wastes; Emission; 540330; Baltic Sea; Ussr; Arctic Ocean; Contamination; 54 Environmental Sciences; Site Resource And Use Studies; Maps 540350; Japan; Radioactive Waste Management; Nuclear Power Plants; 052002; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2172/10102627; https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1274221/

Contamination of the Arctic regions of northern Europe and Russia, as well as the Sea of Japan, may become a potential major hazard to the ecosystem of these large areas. Widespread poor radioactive waste management practices from nuclear fuel cycle activities in the former Soviet Union have resulted in direct discharges to this area as well as multiple sources that may continue to release additional radioactivity. Information on the discharges of radioactive materials has become more commonplace in the last year, and a clearer picture is emerging of the scale of the contamination. Radioactivity in the Arctic oceans is now reported to be four times higher than would be derived from fallout from weapons tests. Although the characteristics and extent of the contamination are not well known, it has been stated that the contamination in the Arctic may range from 1 to 3.5 billion curies. As yet, no scientific sampling or measurement program has occurred that can verify the amount or extent of the contamination, or its potential impact on the ecosystem.