http://www.amap.no

AMAP - An international cooperation in far northern conditions

Yuri Tsaturov - Roshydromet& Morten Sickel – Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority

http://www.amap.no

http://www.amap.no

Pathways for contaminants to the Arctic

http://www.amap.no

http://www.amap.no

Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)

An Integrated Circumpolar Monitoring Programme• Members: Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland,

Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, USA; 6 Arctic Indigenous Peoples Organizations.

• Observers: France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, UK; 24 International Organizations and NGOs.

• Media: Atmospheric, Terrestrial, Freshwater, Marine, and Human health.

• Documenting: Sources, Pathways, Levels, Bio-accumulation, Trends & Effects.

• Priorities: POPs, Metals, Oil, Acidification, Human Health; Climate and UV (ACIA), Radioactivity

http://www.amap.no

AMAP’s geographical coverage

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The AMAP monitoring and assessment programme

• An Assessment Strategy– Assessment Steering Committee. – Lead Countries, e.g. POPs Canada & Sweden.

• A Monitoring Programme – Specification of what to be sampled, methodologies for how to

store, analyse and report.

• A QA/QC Programme • Five Thematic Data Centres• National Implementation Plans (NIPs), e.g. NCP • Special projects e.g. the RAIPON/AMAP/GEF PTS

project in Russia• AMAP Project Directory (AMAP PD)

http://www.amap.no

Main sources for past and present radioactive contamination of the Arctic

Three major sources:– Fallout from atmospheric

testing of nuclear weapons– Routine releases from

western European reprocessing plants

– Fallout from the Chernobyl accident

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Other sources of radioactive contamination

– Dumping of nuclear waste in the Barents and Kara Seas

– Nuclear weapons accident in Thule, Greenland– Local contamination from nuclear weapons tests at

Novaya Zemlya– Reprocessing plants in the Urals and Siberia (e.g.

Mayak)– Civilian use of nuclear explosions– Operation of military and civilian nuclear reactors– Waste handling and storageLocal importance

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137 Cs in Atmosphere, Finland

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Radioactivity in reindeer

Average activity concentrations of 137Cs in reindeer 1990 - 1995

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Freshwater environment

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Cs- 137 in products from NW Russia, 1998 - 2001

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Discharges of 129 I to the marine environment (TBq/yr)

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Present situation

• Regional scale– Generally, levels of radioactive contamination are

mainly low and declining

• ”Semi” regional– Increasing levels of some radionuclides due to

increased releases from European reprocessing plants

• Local– Some areas are seriously contaminated

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Future situation

• Existing risk for new accident giving rise to local or regional concequences

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So, where can AMAP go now?

Use our knowledge and overview to support relevant activities

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Avoiding new accidents

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Remediate contaminated areas

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Limit releases

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Specifically

PreparednessPrioritising

Regulation

Impact assessments

Protection of the environment

AMAP : Knowledge, established

international cooperation

Overall risk assessments Vulnerability assessments

http://www.amap.no

2004 - Report on radioactivity issues

• Sources for radioactive contamination• Radioactivity in the environment• Vulnerability• Doses to the population• Protection of the environment from the effects of

radiation• Nuclear safety initiatives• Potential accident scenarios

http://www.amap.noMorten.Sickel@nrpa.no