Iodine-129 as an environmental tracer
- Univ. of Toronto (Canada)
Long lived isotopes with half-lives in excess of a million years have not been used extensively as tracers because these isotopes have been very difficult to measure in the natural environment by conventional techniques. With the developemnent of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), routine measurements are now possible for {sup 129}I (16 Myears) and with further innovations in this field {sup 135}Cs (3 Myears) measurements at natural abundances should be possible. Massive quantities of {sup 129}I have been released from nuclear reprocessing facilities located on the Irish Sea and on the English Channel. The {sup 129}I signature from these emissions has been traced from the North Sea into the North Atlantic, Greenland Sea, Arctic Ocean and onto the Canadian eastern coast. These ocean areas are of particular interest as the North Atlantic is a region wherein warm equatorial waters originating from the Gulf stream are believed to cool, sink and subsequently form part of a global circulation as previously proposed by W. Broecker. Interest in the ecological importance of the Arctic Ocean has also increased after reports of nuclear wates disposal in the Kara and Barents Seas were made public. {sup 129}I has played a significant role in determining the extent of radio-isotopic contamination, its distribution within the Arctic waters, and the determination of effluent pathways. Results from a number of expeditions in this region will be summarized. The use of long-lived isotopes is a new and virtually unexplored area of research. This talk will focus on the detection and application of {sup 129}I as a long range tracer primarily in the oceanic systems and will highlight areas where other long lived isotopes such as {sup 135}Cs will have an impact.
- OSTI ID:
- 199805
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941129--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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