Decoding an unexpected mystery at the Montebello Islands

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dc.contributor.authorWilliams-Hoffman, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorJohansen, MPen_AU
dc.contributor.authorLavery, PLen_AU
dc.contributor.authorThiruvoth, Sen_AU
dc.contributor.authorSerrano, Oen_AU
dc.contributor.authorMasqué, Pen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-27T00:42:09Zen_AU
dc.date.available2023-01-27T00:42:09Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2022-11-30en_AU
dc.date.statistics2023-01-20en_AU
dc.description.abstractDuring the 1950’s three nuclear tests were conducted in the Montebello Islands in Western Australia by the UK government. The tests introduced a radioactive legacy into the surrounding marine environment but were investigated minimally immediately after and in the decades that followed. Work is currently underway to quantify the persistence and migration of anthropogenic radionuclides within the island archipelago’s marine sediments. Activity concentrations of studied radionuclides (137Cs, 238Pu, 239&240Pu and 241Am) in surface sediments so far have concentrated within a 5 km radius of the three ground zero locations and in the north-west of the islands inline with the original fallout plume trajectories. However, one sampling location does not fit within this originally hypothesised pattern of distribution. This single site, called the Lowendal Islands site, was 26 km south of the detonation ground zero locations and originally sampled as an environmental background. Activity concentrations of studied radionuclides were the second highest of all surface sediments collected (1.6 Bq kg-1, 80 Bq kg-1, 402 Bq kg-1 and 28 Bq kg-1 respectively). Four initial theories are proposed to explain this mystery: currents, air movement, rafting or human involvement. Current analysis indicates that either rafting or human involvement are most likely, based on reviews of historical data, knowledge of regional water movement and 241Am/240Pu/239Pu ratios.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationWilliams-Hoffman., M., Johansen, M. P., Lavery, P. L., Thirovoth, S., Serrano, O., & Masqué, O. (2022). Decoding an unexpected mystery at the Montebello Islands. Poster presented to SPERA 2022 - Connecting People, developing solutions for a Changing Environment, 28-30 November 2022, Chrischurch, New Zealand, (pp. 52). Retrieved from: https://au-admin.eventscloud.com/file_uploads/baa6bb17538b457fbd436f1552075bea_SPERA2022e-handbook.pdfen_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate30 November 2022en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencenameSPERA 2022 - Connecting people, developing solutions for a changing environmenten_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceChristchurch, New Zealanden_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate28 November 2022en_AU
dc.identifier.pagination52en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://au-admin.eventscloud.com/file_uploads/baa6bb17538b457fbd436f1552075bea_SPERA2022e-handbook.pdfen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/14519en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherSouth Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Associationen_AU
dc.subjectNuclear test sitesen_AU
dc.subjectWestern Australiaen_AU
dc.subjectIslandsen_AU
dc.subjectAquatic ecosystemsen_AU
dc.subjectPlutonium 238en_AU
dc.subjectPlutonium 239en_AU
dc.subjectPlutonium 240en_AU
dc.subjectCaesium 137en_AU
dc.subjectAmericium 241en_AU
dc.subjectFallouten_AU
dc.titleDecoding an unexpected mystery at the Montebello Islandsen_AU
dc.typeConference Posteren_AU
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