Plutonium and other radionuclides persist across marine-to-terrestrial ecotopes in the Montebello Islands sixty years after nuclear tests

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dc.contributor.authorJohansen, MPen_AU
dc.contributor.authorChild, DPen_AU
dc.contributor.authorCresswell, Ten_AU
dc.contributor.authorHarrison, JJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHotchkis, MACen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHowell, NRen_AU
dc.contributor.authorJohansen, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorSdraulig, Sen_AU
dc.contributor.authorThiruvoth, Sen_AU
dc.contributor.authorYoung, ELen_AU
dc.contributor.authorWhiting, SDen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2021-12-09T22:35:53Zen_AU
dc.date.available2021-12-09T22:35:53Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2019-11-15en_AU
dc.date.statistics2021-11-19en_AU
dc.description.abstractSince the 1956 completion of nuclear testing at the Montebello Islands, Western Australia, this remote uninhabited island group has been relatively undisturbed (no major remediations) and currently functions as high-value marine and terrestrial habitat within the Montebello/Barrow Islands Marine Conservation Reserves. The former weapons testing sites, therefore, provide a unique opportunity for assessing the fate and behaviour of Anthropocene radionuclides subjected to natural processes across a range of shallow-marine to island-terrestrial ecological units (ecotopes). We collected soil, sediment and biota samples and analysed their radionuclide content using gamma and alpha spectrometry, photostimulated luminescence autoradiography and accelerator mass spectrometry. We found the activity levels of the fission and neutron-activation products have decreased by ~hundred-fold near the ground zero locations. However, Pu concentrations remain elevated, some of which are high relative to most other Australian and international sites (up to 25,050 Bq kg−1 of 239+240+241Pu). Across ecotopes, Pu ranked from highest to lowest in the following order: island soils > dunes > foredunes > marine sediments > and beach intertidal zone. Low values of Pu and other radionuclides were detected in all local wildlife tested including endangered species. Activity concentrations ranked (highest to lowest) terrestrial arthropods > terrestrial mammal and reptile bones > algae > oyster flesh > whole crab > sea turtle bone > stingray and teleost fish livers > sea cucumber flesh > sea turtle skin > teleost fish muscle. The three detonations (one from within a ship and two from 30 m towers) resulted in differing contaminant forms, with the ship detonation producing the highest activity concentrations and finer more inhalable particulate forms. The three sites are distinct in their 240/239Pu and 241/239Pu atom ratios, including the Pu transported by natural process or within migratory living organisms. Crown Copyright © 2019 Published by Elsevier B.Ven_AU
dc.description.sponsorshipThe study was made possible by funding for sample analysis provided by the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions as well as laboratory support from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. We acknowledge financial support from the Australian Government for the Centre for Accelerator Science at ANSTO through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).en_AU
dc.identifier.citationJohansen, M. P., Child, D. P., Cresswell, T., Harrison, J. J., Hotchkis, M. A. C., Howell, N. R., Johansen, A., Straudlig, S., Thiruvoth, S., Young, E. & Whiting, S. D. (2019). Plutonium and other radionuclides persist across marine-to-terrestrial ecotopes in the Montebello Islands sixty years after nuclear tests. Science of The Total Environment, 691, 572-583. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.531en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0048-9697en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleScience of The Total Environmenten_AU
dc.identifier.pagination572-583en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.531en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/12408en_AU
dc.identifier.volume691en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevieren_AU
dc.subjectPlutoniumen_AU
dc.subjectRadioisotopesen_AU
dc.subjectSpectroscopyen_AU
dc.subjectNuclear test sitesen_AU
dc.subjectCesium 137en_AU
dc.subjectParticlesen_AU
dc.subjectRadioecologyen_AU
dc.subjectWestern Australiaen_AU
dc.subjectIslandsen_AU
dc.titlePlutonium and other radionuclides persist across marine-to-terrestrial ecotopes in the Montebello Islands sixty years after nuclear testsen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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