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Radionuclide Monitoring Study

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In 1990, the NS&T Program monitored radionuclide contaminant concentrations in oyster and mussel tissues from coastal locations. Most of the 36 nearshore sites were those sampled by EPA's 1970's Mussel Watch Program. In addition, some were located in the vicinity of nuclear facilities of known radioactive dumping sites. Radionuclide concentrations were analyzed by TMA Norcal and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

These studies revealed radioactive products [110Ag, 90Sr, 65Zn, and 58+60cobalt (Co)] are sometimes present close to nuclear facilities, but at low levels. When NS&T results were compared with those of EPAs earlier Mussel Watch Program, the statistical testing generally showed a significant decrease in most radionuclide concnetrations between the mid-1970's and the early 1990's. Elevated levels of americium and cesium along West Coast shores are most likely due to upwelling of radio-nuclide-enhanced deepper waters (Valette-Silver, N.J. and G.G. Lauenstein. 1995).

Further information about this study can be obtained from:

  • Efurd, D. W.; G. G. Miller, D. J. Rokop, F. R. Roensch, M. Attrep, Jr, J. L. Thompson, W. C. Incret, G. Miller, H. Poths, J. C. Banar, J. A. Musgrave, E. Rios, M. M. Fowler, R. Gritzo, J. Headstream, D. Dry, M. J. Hameedi, A. Robertson N. J. Valette-Silver, S. Dolvin, L. K. Thorsteinson, T. M. O'Hara, and R. Olsen. 1997. Evaluation of the anthropogenic radionuclide concentrations in sediments and fauna collected in the Beaufort Sea and northern Alaska. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, LA-13302-MS. 41 pp.
  • Hameedi, M.J., A. Robertson, S. Dolvin, D.W. Efurd, G.G. Miller, and D.J. Rokop. 1995. Radionuclides in the Arctic environment and biota: Isotopic fingerprinting to determine source terms. Proceedings of the Workshop on Monitoring of Nuclear Contamination in Arctic Seas, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. (NRL/MR/6610/95-7674).
  • Hameedi, M. J., D. W. Efurd, T. M. O'Hara, A. Robertson, and L. K. Thorsteinson. 1997. Radionuclides in animals of subsistence and ecological value in the United States Arctic and Russian Far East, pp. 58-60 . In: Extended abstracts, The Third International Conference on Environmental Radioactivity in the Arctic, Tromso, Norway. 280 pp.
  • Valette-Silver, N.J. 1991. The use of natural radionuclides to unravel earth processes. Recent advances in science: the cutting edge. Sigma, Delta, Epsilon - Graduate Women in Science Symposium.
  • Valette-Silver, N.J. 1992. Concentration of artificial radionuclides in bivalves collected in the coastal United States. In: Proceedings of the Goldschmidt Conference, Reston, VA: A-114.
  • Valette-Silver, N.J. and G.G. Lauenstein. 1992. Radionuclide concentrations in bivalves collected by the NOAA/NS&T Program. In: Proceedings, 13th Annual Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: 114.
  • Valette-Silver, N.J. and G.G. Lauenstein. 1995. Radionuclide concentrations in bivalves collected along the coastal United States. Mar. Poll.Bull. 30(5): 320-331.