Unveiling the extreme environmental radioactivity of cryoconite from a Norwegian glacier
Unveiling the extreme environmental radioactivity of cryoconite from a Norwegian glacier
This study is a first survey of the occurrence of artificial (137Cs, 241Am, 207Bi, Pu isotopes) and natural (210Pb, 228Ac, 214Bi, 40K) radionuclides in Norwegian cryoconite. Cryoconite samples were collected before (12 samples) and after (5 samples) a rainfall event, after which 7 cryoconite holes dissapeared. The concentrations of radionuclides in cryoconite samples from the Blåisen Glacier are compared with data from the Arctic and Alpine glaciers. Cryoconite samples from the studied glacier had extremely high activity concentrations of 137Cs, 241Am, 207Bi and 239+240Pu (up to 25,000 Bq/kg, 58 Bq/kg, 13 Bq/kg and 131 Bq/kg, respectively) and also high concentrations of organic matter (OM), comparing to other Scandinavian and Arctic glaciers, reaching up to ~40% of total mass. The outstandingly high concentrations of 137Cs, 241Am, Pu isotopes, and 207Bi on the Blåisen Glacier are primarily related to bioaccumulation of radionuclides in organic-rich cryoconite and might be enhanced by additional transfers of contamination from the tundra by lemmings during their population peaks. The presumed influence of intense rainfall on radionuclide concentrations in the cryoconite was not confirmed.
Artificial radionuclides, Cryoconite, Ecosystems, Glaciers
152656
Gaca, Pawel
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Łokas, Edyta
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Wachniew, Przemyslaw
bbdf3a43-7ed2-49cf-b8e5-81577efbc8c6
Baccolo, Giovanni
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Janko, Karel
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Milton, Andrew
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Buda, Jakub
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Komedera, Kamila
c7744dbb-aeed-48d7-8eb1-48ea3f8e287d
Zawierucha, Krzysztof
b3ea19c6-10f3-4385-958b-deedda536d5c
25 March 2022
Gaca, Pawel
3d23473d-db81-436a-a12d-ad707db4abc8
Łokas, Edyta
e313374c-9e4f-41c3-9029-5636036d4482
Wachniew, Przemyslaw
bbdf3a43-7ed2-49cf-b8e5-81577efbc8c6
Baccolo, Giovanni
8adff8d1-1353-4bfc-bb2f-a1d4a8203e45
Janko, Karel
7608bfe8-c80c-403e-beba-b13d03d83648
Milton, Andrew
7c597de4-b771-4ff5-8d1f-d9cef8f1286f
Buda, Jakub
3304f412-1e63-442a-b895-87dddefeb2b9
Komedera, Kamila
c7744dbb-aeed-48d7-8eb1-48ea3f8e287d
Zawierucha, Krzysztof
b3ea19c6-10f3-4385-958b-deedda536d5c
Gaca, Pawel, Łokas, Edyta, Wachniew, Przemyslaw, Baccolo, Giovanni, Janko, Karel, Milton, Andrew, Buda, Jakub, Komedera, Kamila and Zawierucha, Krzysztof
(2022)
Unveiling the extreme environmental radioactivity of cryoconite from a Norwegian glacier.
Science of the Total Environment, 814, , [152656].
(doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152656).
Abstract
This study is a first survey of the occurrence of artificial (137Cs, 241Am, 207Bi, Pu isotopes) and natural (210Pb, 228Ac, 214Bi, 40K) radionuclides in Norwegian cryoconite. Cryoconite samples were collected before (12 samples) and after (5 samples) a rainfall event, after which 7 cryoconite holes dissapeared. The concentrations of radionuclides in cryoconite samples from the Blåisen Glacier are compared with data from the Arctic and Alpine glaciers. Cryoconite samples from the studied glacier had extremely high activity concentrations of 137Cs, 241Am, 207Bi and 239+240Pu (up to 25,000 Bq/kg, 58 Bq/kg, 13 Bq/kg and 131 Bq/kg, respectively) and also high concentrations of organic matter (OM), comparing to other Scandinavian and Arctic glaciers, reaching up to ~40% of total mass. The outstandingly high concentrations of 137Cs, 241Am, Pu isotopes, and 207Bi on the Blåisen Glacier are primarily related to bioaccumulation of radionuclides in organic-rich cryoconite and might be enhanced by additional transfers of contamination from the tundra by lemmings during their population peaks. The presumed influence of intense rainfall on radionuclide concentrations in the cryoconite was not confirmed.
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Accepted/In Press date: 20 December 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 23 December 2021
Published date: 25 March 2022
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Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Artificial radionuclides, Cryoconite, Ecosystems, Glaciers
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Local EPrints ID: 454384
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/454384
ISSN: 0048-9697
PURE UUID: 81b1a98b-899a-4feb-a93d-e9a717edc977
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Date deposited: 08 Feb 2022 17:42
Last modified: 23 Aug 2022 16:36
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Author:
Edyta Łokas
Author:
Przemyslaw Wachniew
Author:
Giovanni Baccolo
Author:
Karel Janko
Author:
Andrew Milton
Author:
Jakub Buda
Author:
Kamila Komedera
Author:
Krzysztof Zawierucha
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