RADIONUCLIDES AND HEAVY METALS IN THE YENISEI BAY IN 2001

A. I. Nikitin, V. A. Surnin, M. A. Novitskii, N. K. Valetova, A. I. Kabanov, I. Yu. Katrich, V. B. Chumichev, G. E. Dunaev, N. I. Kolesnikova, V. M. Goncharenok, and A. A. Makarenko

Information about radionuclides 137Cs, 90Sr, 60Co, and tritium and heavy metals in the Yenisei estuary derived from analysis of samples taken on the cruise of the research vessel Akademik Boris Petrov in August—September 2001 is summarized. The estuary refers to sea water areas subject to the impact of local radioactive sources (radioactive wastes from the Zheleznogorsk mining and chemical plant (MCP)). It is shown that releases of radioactivity from the MCP have not raised the current levels of these radionuclides both in the estuarine waters and in the adjoining water area of the Kara Sea. Radionuclide 60Co, which is definitely connected with radioactive discharges from the MCP, is recorded in small amounts (concentrations as low as 5 Bq/kg) in the estuarine bottom sediments. It is stated that the cumulative impact of global atmospheric fallout after nuclear weapon tests, of released products after the CNPP accident, and MCP radioactive releases to the Yenisei River has not resulted in the formation of ecologically dangerous level of contamination by 137Cs in the bottom sediments of the Yenisei estuary. The concentration in the bottom sediments of heavy metals that determine the anthropogenic impact (cadmium, cobalt, copper, nickel, mercury, and lead) is close to background values.

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